A U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed in Vermont during a traffic stop near the Canada border, prompting an investigation by federal authorities.
Coventry: A tragic incident unfolded when a U.S. Border Patrol agent was shot and killed while on duty in Vermont. This happened near the Canada-U.S. border, and it’s a big deal.
The agent was working in the Swanton Sector, which covers a stretch of the border shared with New York, Vermont, and parts of Canada. It’s a busy area for border crossings.
The shooting took place around 3:15 p.m. on Interstate 91. Reports say it happened during a traffic stop, and sadly, another person was also shot and killed, while another was injured.
Authorities, including the FBI, are looking into what happened. They’ve closed the southbound lanes of the highway while they investigate, but the northbound lanes are open.
Benjamine Huffman, the acting secretary of homeland security, expressed his condolences, saying his thoughts are with the agent’s family and colleagues. The Canada Border Services Agency also shared their sadness over the loss.
This area has seen a lot of illegal crossings, making it a hotspot for border patrol activities. Just last year, there were significant interceptions of individuals crossing illegally.
In December, the number of illegal crossings dropped sharply compared to the previous year, which is a bit of good news amid this tragedy.