Speech #1090134229

After being alerted to the plane and after a long chase. the tribes officers captured and detained the pilot and handed over to Federal law enforcement authorities an estimated $2 million in illegal drugs that had been dropped by the plane on the bank of Columbia River near the Grand Coulee Dam. Last month the U.S. Border Patrol honored the Colville Tribal officers that participated in this seizure. In addition to this incident. other incidents involving float planes from Canada smuggling drugs through the lakes and waterways on the Colville Reservation have also resulted in arrests in recent months and have also involved the Colville Tribes law enforcement personnel. I understand from the Colville Tribe that its law enforcement personnel register two to three reports of float plane sightings per week and that the tribes police department has reason to believe that up to 25 aircraft may be involved in crossborder drug smuggling activities using the lakes and waters on the Colville Reservation.