Despite an overall decrease in illegal crossings under the Trump administration, Border Patrol agents in the Swanton Sector—covering Vermont, parts of upstate New York, and New Hampshire—continue to disrupt serious criminal activity along the northern border.
Earlier this month near Mooers Forks, New York, Champlain Station agents discovered a minivan carrying five Iranian nationals and two Uzbek men. All were in the U.S. illegally, having entered at different points along both the Canada–U.S. and Mexico–U.S. borders. They have been detained and are now facing removal proceedings.
“Border security is national security and directly correlates to public safety,” noted Swanton Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Robert Garcia.
Meanwhile, ICE has stepped up enforcement against illegal Iranian immigrants, including suspected members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. More than 1,500 Iranians have entered illegally during the Biden administration, with over 700 released into the country.
In a separate case, Border Patrol tipped off New York State Police about a vehicle possibly involved in smuggling near Albany. Troopers seized approximately 4.7 pounds of powdered fentanyl—enough to kill over one million people. Garcia emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation for national security and public safety.
In Massachusetts, U.S. ATF agents, assisted by Border Patrol, arrested Honduran national Yubert Yasiel Lopez‑Lopez, 31, wanted on weapons trafficking charges. A three-time entrant into the U.S. without authorization—first in Texas in 2014, again in Arizona in 2022, and now in Massachusetts—Lopez‑Lopez faces sentencing in Vermont after a recent federal indictment.
“We continue to enforce federal immigration laws and seek maximum consequences against those who violate them,” Garcia said. He also thanked the public for reporting suspicious border activity and urged continued vigilance, directing residents to call 1–800–689–3362 with tips.
Under the Biden administration, the Swanton Sector saw a record surge of illegal crossings from Canada—nearly one million, including detections and undetected entries—with fiscal 2024 reaching almost 200,000 recorded crossings.
