General Information
709 SE Catawba Road
Port Clinton, OH 43452
Phone: (419) 732-4400
Fax: (419) 732-4480
History
Shortly after the creation of the Border Patrol in 1924, two sectors were created in Michigan, one in Sault Ste. Marie and one in Detroit. The Detroit Sector was responsible for an area stretching from Port Sanilac in Michigan to Port Clinton in Ohio. After the repeal of Prohibition, illegal entries through Lake Erie declined dramatically and the station in the Port Clinton/Sandusky area was eventually closed in 1957.
From 1957 until 2008, the Gibraltar (formerly Trenton) Border Patrol Station in Michigan was responsible for patrolling the border in Lake Erie. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and due to the distance from the Gibraltar station to Lake Erie, the decision was made to reinstate a full-time Border Patrol presence in Ohio. From 2008 until 2012, the station was located in Sandusky, until a permanent facility could be built.
On June 14, 2012, the Sandusky Bay Station moved into a brand-new building in Port Clinton, Ohio. It is the first-ever U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility constructed to house the Border Patrol, Office of Field Operations, and Office of Air and Marine in the same building.
Area of Responsibility
The Sandusky Bay station's area of responsibility includes western and central Lake Erie, along with five border counties along Lake Erie. Sandusky Bay Agents will perform marine patrol on Lake Erie, linewatch duties along the shoreline, and patrol the area's routes of egress from the border, such as Interstate 80 and 90.