Border Security Alliance adds former Spokane Police Chief to Advisory Council amid growing northern border concerns
Aug 14, 2025, 5:02 AM
The Border Security Alliance (BSA), a national coalition focused on countering smuggling, human trafficking, and organized crime at U.S. borders and ports, is expanding its leadership to address threats not just at the southern border, but along the often-overlooked northern border.
As part of that effort, the group announced the formation of an Advisory Council bringing in regional leaders from border states, including former Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl. The council hopes to educate the public and policymakers on the security challenges facing communities from Arizona to Maine — and increasingly, in Washington state.
Meidl, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with more than 30 years in law enforcement, spent eight years leading Spokane’s police department. He says Washington’s vast, rugged, and under-resourced northern border makes it a prime target for smuggling operations, trafficking, and other threats to public safety.
“As the former Chief of Police in Spokane, I’m acutely aware of the unique challenges we face along the often-overlooked northern border,” Meidl said. “When cartels move drugs, weapons, and victims across our borders, those threats don’t stop at the state line — they spread through sophisticated criminal networks that reach into every community in America.”
While Washington isn’t typically included in the national debate over border security, Meidl points to the flow of fentanyl and methamphetamine into the Pacific Northwest as a pressing concern. The drugs often enter from Mexico but are also trafficked across the Canadian border, which spans more than 400 miles in Washington alone. Federal reports have noted the northern border’s limited surveillance and sparse staffing, making large stretches vulnerable.
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