Border Patrol agents apprehended nine men who illegally entered the country from Canada near Warroad, Minn., last week.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said seven of the nine men are citizens of Mexico, ranging in age from 19 to 46. None of them had proper immigration documents. Seven of them were transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement while the two others are receiving medical care.
Border Patrol agents responded to reports of a group of individuals in distress on April 18 around 4:50 a.m., according to a press release. One of the migrants made an emergency phone call to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who notified Border Patrol of the group’s presence.
Agents located the group of migrants in a flooded bog west of Warroad. Temperatures in the bog were below freezing and required the Border Patrol agents to wear protective suits in order to rescue the group.
“This is an excellent example of our agents and local partners working together to prevent tragedy,” said Chief Patrol Agent Scott Garrett of the Grand Forks sector. “The outcome could have been much worse if not for the quick notification from RCMP and the response of our agents.”
U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, a member of the newly-formed Northern Border Security Caucus, warned lawmakers during a recent committee hearing about the increase in illicit activity along the U.S.-Canada border.
“According to Customs and Border Protection data, drug smuggling across the northern border has increased by nearly 600% since fiscal year 2021. These drugs are pouring over the northern border and flowing directly into our communities, killing our citizens,” said Stauber, who represents Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District.
National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said more than 2,000 people were apprehended along the northern border in 2022, though he claimed this number represents “only a small fraction of illegal crossings.”
Border Patrol agents in the Grand Forks sector reported 90 apprehensions between Oct. 1 and Jan. 1. There were 80 apprehensions reported during the entire previous fiscal year.
The Swanton sector, which covers Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York, has seen an 846% increase in encounters and apprehensions.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
