ROUSES POINT, N.Y. – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Champlain Border Patrol Station apprehended twelve illegal aliens, including a suspected smuggler, on Monday, April 15.
on April 15
On Monday evening, the Tactical Communications Center (TCC) of the Swanton Border Patrol Sector notified U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Champlain Station that there was a group of people illegally crossing the international boundary into the U.S. near Rouses Point. Border Patrol agents responded to the area and located a group of five as they were walking south, away from the international border. One of the subjects ran into the woods and could not be located at the time. During the interview, it was discovered that the remaining four individuals are citizens of Mexico without any immigration documentation allowing them to enter or remain in the United States. Agents took the group, three men and one woman, into custody and transported them to the Champlain Border Patrol Station for further processing. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York will be prosecuting two of the men and the one woman for illegal entry under 8 USC 1325 and the other man for Re-entry after Removal, a felony under 8 USC 1326.
Later Monday evening, the TCC again notified agents from the Champlain Station that there was a group of people illegally crossing the international boundary into the U.S. in the same area as before. Border Patrol agents responded to the area and located a white minivan leaving with several people inside. Agents stopped the van and learned that the six passengers are citizens of Mexico without any immigration documentation allowing them to enter or remain in the United States. The driver is an Ecuadorian national that is currently in immigration proceedings and out on bond. Agents took the seven people into custody and transported them to the Champlain Border Patrol Station for further processing. The vehicle was seized and is pending forfeiture. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York will be prosecuting three of the Mexican men and the two Mexican woman for illegal entry under 8 USC 1325. The other Mexican man will be prosecuted for Re-entry after Removal, a felony under 8 USC 1326. The Ecuadorian driver, Jaime Prieto, age 47, is being charged with Alien Smuggling by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, a felony under 8 USC 1324.
At approximately 6:50 AM Tuesday morning, the TCC notified agents that there was a lone female in the vicinity of the previous smuggling attempts. Agents responded and discovered the woman was the one that had run into the woods the previous evening. She is a citizen of Mexico without any immigration documentation allowing her to enter or remain in the United States. She was taken into custody and transported to the Champlain Border Patrol Station for further processing. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York will be prosecuting her for illegal entry under 8 USC 1325.
“The Swanton Sector relies on the vigilance of its agents to prevent alien smugglers from exploiting the first land border east of the Great Lakes,” said Swanton Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent William Maddocks. “The sector will work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute any criminal individuals or organizations responsible for smuggling attempts in the Swanton Sector area of operations.”
The Swanton Sector is responsible for securing the land border between ports of entry in Vermont, New Hampshire and northeastern New York. The coordination with assistance of citizens is invaluable to the Border Patrol's border security mission and we welcome community members' help to keep our nation’s borders safe. Please report suspicious activity at 1-800-689-3362.
For more on Customs and Border Protection’s mission at our nation’s ports of entry with CBP officers and along U.S. borders with Border Patrol agents, please visit the Border Security section of the CBP website.