7695 Airport Road
Eureka, MT 59917
Phone : (406) 889-9081
Fax : (406) 889-9009
History
The Eureka station was originally established eight miles north of Eureka as an “Area Headquarters” in Gateway, Montana in July 1924. Liquor smuggling was prevalent during the early days of the Gateway Border Patrol station. The Gateway location is now underwater as a result of the construction of the Libby Dam and the creation of the Lake Koocanusa Reservoir in 1974. In its early years of existence, the original station also had locations in Rexford, Whitefish, and Eureka. In 1955, the original station was relocated to Whitefish, MT.
In 1974, it was reopened as a two agent sub-station of Whitefish at the Roosville Port of Entry. The station was located in a small office within the old port of entry. In 1989, the Eureka Sub-Station moved to a location eight miles south of Roosville in the town of Eureka where it remained for twenty years.
On September 12, 2009, a grand opening ceremony was held for the brand new Eureka Border Patrol Station facility, which is located eight miles north of Eureka at Airport Road and Highway 93 and sits adjacent to the Roosville Port of Entry. In front of the new facility, a monument was erected and dedicated to Patrol Inspector Joseph P. Riley who, on April 4, 1925, sustained fatal injuries during an auto accident approximately three miles northwest of Eureka. Patrol Inspector Riley succumbed to his injuries and passed away on April 6, 1925. Inspector Riley was the first Border Patrol officer to die in the line of duty along the northern border.
Area of Responsibility
In 2003, Eureka became an independent station and is responsible for 50 miles of border located in Lincoln County.
The area of responsibility is mountainous with a large waterway (Koocanusa reservoir) entering into the U.S. from Canada.