General Information
14801 Middle Gibraltar Rd.
Gibraltar, MI 48173
Phone: (734) 676-2972
Fax: (734) 676-4145
History
Wyandotte, Michigan. (Right Image): Looking south
towards Lake Erie from Gibraltar, Michigan.
Gibraltar Border Patrol Station (originally opened as the Trenton station) was first organized between June and August 1924. The Labor Appropriations Act of May 28, 1924, created a Border Patrol sub-sector with its headquarters at Sibley, Michigan which functioned under the guidance of the sector headquarters in Detroit. The earliest known complement assigned to the new sub-Sector consisted of 25 officers.
Beginning in the late 1920s and continuing throughout the next two decades, the majority of operations were conducted by two-man teams of Patrol Inspectors walking a beat on the riverfront. Teams were assigned patrol areas of several miles, depending on the number and variety of establishments, and terrain in the areas. Areas that were more distant were patrolled by motorcycle and later by a limited number of patrol cars.
From its origin until late 1963, the Trenton Station was located in a small, one room facility that belonged to the Trenton VFW. The station moved to a Trenton suburb known as Brownstown Township in December 1963. This agency-owned facility was built using a template for Border Patrol stations across the northern border. In May, 2008, station personnel moved into a new 17,000 square foot complex at 14801 Middle Gibraltar Road in Gibraltar and the station was renamed to reflect the location.
Area of Responsibility
on the station SAFE boat. (Right Image): Looking towards
Canada across the Detroit River.
The Gibraltar Station's area has traditionally been comprised of the southeastern corner of the state of Michigan, to include the southern half of Wayne County, from River Rouge, Michigan to Luna Pier/Erie, Michigan. Prior to the re-opening of the Sandusky Bay station in 2008, agents also patrolled the four Ohio counties touched by Lake Erie. The entire international border of Gibraltar station's area of responsibility is water - either the Detroit River or Lake Erie.
Where it is not heavily industrialized or populated, the land is largely flat and low lying, with many rivers, streams and inlets, as well as marshland. The U.S. Coast Guard reports over two hundred marinas in the area. A significant part of Gibraltar station's focus is on marine patrol during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Agents patrol the many state and county roads in the area, some of which are accessible within minutes of crossing the border. In addition, agents patrol the Interstate highways running through the area (I-75, I-94, I-69, I-80, and I-90).