A US Border Patrol agent has been killed near the Canada-US border in Vermont, officials said
A U.S. Border Patrol agent was shot and killed in Vermont on Monday while on duty along the Canada-U.S. border, federal and state officials said.
According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agent is assigned to the US Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector, which covers the border shared by northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, eastern Ontario and Quebec.
The shooting happened around 3:15 p.m. on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vt., about 30 kilometers south of the official border crossing in Stanstead, Que., Vermont State Police said in a statement.
Local TV station WCAX The agent reported He was shot during a traffic stop. Another man was shot dead and another was shot and wounded, he said.
Vermont State Police said the shooting is being investigated by federal authorities with the assistance of state officials, including the FBI. He said the southbound lanes of Interstate 91 were closed Monday evening, while the northbound lanes were open.
“My prayers and deepest condolences are with the department, the agent’s family, loved ones and colleagues,” Homeland Security Acting Secretary Benjamin Huffman said in a statement.
The Canada Border Services Agency also issued a statement of condolence.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a United States Border Patrol officer today while on duty in Vermont,” he said. “Our deepest thoughts and condolences are with the family, friends and colleagues of a respected member of the Border community.”
The Swanton sector has the highest level of illegal crossings into Canada of any location along the Canada-US border.
Most crossings in this area occur along the northern border of New York and Vermont with eastern Ontario and Quebec.
In the year In November 2024, US Border Patrol agents rode motorcycles into the United States at Stadt Quay. He was found in possession of a Venezuelan passport holder and a loaded .22 semi-automatic pistol, a suppressor and two Glock magazines totaling 30 9. – Millimeter rounds.
US President Donald Trump has followed through on his threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods due to illegal crossings and fentanyl flowing south across the border. The Canadian government recently announced that it is spending more than $1 billion on additional border protection measures that include new helicopters, drones and officers.
Illegal crossings from Canada to the Swanton sector in December were down significantly compared to the previous year. Border officials intercepted 510 people in December 2024, compared to 1,178 in the same month in 2023.
