CBC Radio quoted Michael Byers, a professor of international law at UBC, in an article into alleged mistreatment of detainees during joint anti-smuggling operations with the U.S. Coast Guard. The Canadian Armed Forces involvement was investigated in a CBC documentary.
Byers suggested that “the generals and admirals probably don’t have influence over what happens on U.S. Coast Guard cutters when there isn’t a Canadian observer on board, and they badly want to keep cooperating with the Americans in these operations.”