Maine border agents vigilant in light of terrorist attacks

By Jen Lynds

BDN Staff Writer

HOULTON — With U.S. security concerns heightened following the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, agents who secure our nation’s borders are being ever vigilant to assure that extremists are not smuggled into the U.S.

While more resources are devoted to the southern border with Mexico, which is patrolled by 18,000 U.S. border agents compared to 2,200 on the Canadian border, security remains a priority in Maine with a focus on initial questioning and secondary screening at ports of entry and strategic use of canines and special technology.

Maine does not see the criminal apprehension and seizure numbers that other offices across the nation do, but agents here still remain vigilant and do encounter various incidents at and between the state’s ports of entry on a daily basis, according to Michelle Benson-Fuller, spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection in the Northeast.

On a typical day across the nation, she said, Customs and Border Protection agents welcome nearly 1 million visitors, screen more than 67,000 cargo containers, arrest more than 1,100 individuals and seize nearly 6 tons of illicit drugs.

In Maine, more than 25 individuals were arrested in connection with human smuggling cases from October 2005 to October 2015, according to Benson-Fuller.

Individuals encountered in these cases were nationals of Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Mexico and Portugal.

The cases, however, typically involve illegal aliens looking for a better life in America.

In 2011, for instance, a Canadian woman agreed to hide an illegal alien in the trunk of her car and drive across the border to a restaurant in Madawaska for $1,500. The two were caught, however, when the car was selected for secondary inspection at the port of entry. In 2014, a Canadian man and his wife were arrested after he tried to cross the border alone in Jackman and agents found a woman’s clothing in the car. A targeted search of the area located the wife, dressed in camouflage, hiding in nearby woods and both were arrested. She was a citizen of Brazil and legal permanent resident of Canada but did not have immigration papers allowing her into the U.S.

Benson-Fuller noted that some of the 24 ports of entry in Maine are guarded around the clock and others, like the port of entry in Forest City, a rural community at the border of Washington and Aroostook counties and the province of New Brunswick, have limited operations.

Aside from the 24 ports of entry here, there are six U.S. Border Patrol stations, a U.S. Border Patrol Sector Headquarters office, and an Air and Marine Operations unit.

The Forest City border crossing is considered a “low-volume port of entry” that is open only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sundays and holidays. Officials said on that an average of 6.6 cars pass through the port each day.

Benson-Fuller said that ports that are not open full time are manned by using cameras, sensors and other advanced technology that is strategically placed in locations on the international border to detect, deter and apprehend any illicit activity.

In October, for instance, a Maine man was arrested after his car set off sensors as he tried to enter the U.S. illegally via a field road leading from New Brunswick, Canada, into Blaine. He pleaded guilty this month in federal court to a charge of failing to present himself at a border crossing point and faces up to a year in prison.

Meanwhile, on the southern border in Arizona, since 2013, the Border Patrol indicated in a press release that they detained about one Pakistani per day at the border in 2013, 70 people from Afghanistan, almost 400 from England and more than 800 from Vietnam.

According to the CBP, 3,338 people were arrested trying to cross the Canadian border in 2014. Of those, 1,673 were from countries other than Mexico.

“In this ever changing world, it is critical for officers and agents throughout Maine to remain alert and ready 24/7, 365-days of the year, and to remain just as vigilante today as any other day,” said Benson-Fuller.

Protecting the border involves managing and patrolling the border, and working jointly with law enforcement officials in both Maine and Canada with operations and intelligence sharing, and with key stakeholders and the public, she said.

Benson-Fuller said the public plays a significant part in keeping the border secure as well.

“If someone sees something or someone that is suspicious, they should contact law enforcement to report the incident,” she said. “As members of the community, they know what and who belongs in the area or if something is out of place. The information and observations provided by members of our border community have proven to be valuable assets in securing the border Maine.”

Suspicious activity can be reported by calling 1-800-851-8727.