Today I’m teaming up with Deputy Smith and
we are going to be flying up to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to extradite
(to take custody of a criminal from the Canadian Government) a subject
that is wanted on federal murder charges in the Eastern District of
Washington. Some of the countries you get to fly to are very interesting
and others you are glad to be back home from, upon completing the assignment.
Deputy Smith and I are at the airport in Spokane by 0400 (4:00 am) in
order to catch our flight at 0600 (6:00 am). The flight to Calgary
should be about 2 hours. Once we arrive at Calgary, we are met by
representatives of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). They
escort us to an office they share with Canadian Immigration at the airport. Within the office is a holding
cell with security walls around it. We are met by other officials of
the Canadian Government and start our paperwork.
Once we complete our
paperwork, we trade agency pins and patches with our hosts. This is a
custom that usually happens at every extradition exchange. Some
deputies receive copies of actual law enforcement badges from other
countries.
We next meet the
prisoner who is located in a holding cell within the office. I search
his clothes that he will be wearing for any possible contraband (hidden
items). I place restraints (handcuffs, waist chains, and leg
irons) on the prisoner and we head out
of the office with several RCMPs. We are escorted through immigration
and our visas are checked along with identification of our prisoner.
Deputy Smith and I are put onto the plane and await take off. The
prisoner thus far has been cooperative which always makes for a more
pleasant trip.
When we reach Spokane,
we are met by other deputies and we escort the prisoner into the waiting
Marshals Service van. We take the prisoner to the jail and book him. After arriving
at the office we complete yet more paperwork. Tomorrow, the extradited
prisoner will see the Magistrate judge on an initial appearance and be
told by the judge the reason for the arrest, his constitutional rights,
appointed a lawyer, and given a chance to be heard on bail/bond issues
(if he will be released or sent to prison until the trial).
I look forward to
tomorrow because we are going to be working with the County doing some
controlled buy/busts (this is watching for illegal drugs being sold and
then making an arrest).
