Updated: September 27, 2021
MONTICELLO, Maine – Due to inactivity, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) temporarily suspended operations at the Monticello, Maine Port of Entry (POE) on May 9. Initial plans called for the Monticello POE to reopen on Oct. 1, however with continued border restrictions on non-essential travel, CBP has determined that the POE will extend the temporary closure. CBP will reassess reopening the POE in congruence with White House direction and Department of Homeland Security protocols on border reopening.
The Monticello POE is located on Fletcher Road in remote northern border farmland. When open the POE is operated by two CBP officers from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Saturday.
A traffic volume study revealed that the Monticello POE processed 74 vehicles in the year since COVID-19 restrictions were implemented – Mar. 20, 2020, to Mar. 19, 2021. That’s an average of 0.25 vehicles per day. Comparatively, from Mar. 20, 2019, to Mar. 19, 2020, the POE processed 1,497 vehicles, an average of 4.94 vehicles per day.
CBP operates two nearby border crossings, one in Bridgewater, Maine, about nine miles north of Monticello, and another in Houlton, Maine, about 13 miles south. The Houlton POE is along major transportation systems, I-95 and Houlton International Airport, and is open 24-hours each day.
“Coronavirus has changed the way we all live and travel, and the present restrictions on non-essential cross-border travel has minimalized the already underutilized Monticello Port of Entry,” said Jennifer De La O, Boston Director of Field Operations. “As stewards of our citizen’s tax dollars, it would be fiscally reasonable and responsible to temporarily close the Monticello facility and reallocate the two CBP officers to help improve service during higher volume periods at nearby Ports of Entry,” she added.
CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. CBP officers screen international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.
Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders. Learn more about CBP at www.CBP.gov.