by Swanton Sector Border Patrol agents have seen an increase in migrant arrests of nearly 800% in the first two months of the new fiscal year. Over the past four months, officers in this Canadian border area have apprehended more migrants than were apprehended in FY22.
The nationwide encounters report released late on the Friday before Christmas shows officers in the Swanton area apprehended 727 migrants who crossed from Canada to Vermont and New York. During the same period last year, these officers apprehended only 81 migrants. This represents an increase of almost 798%.
In less than 3 months, Swanton sector #Border Patrol Officers encountered more illegal border crossings than ALL of the previous year (FY2022)!
Our agents are committed to their mission – to protect our homeland.
I am proud of their unwavering determination and vigilance. pic.twitter.com/3J6azNuPuA
– Chief Patrol Officer Robert Garcia (@USBPChiefSWB) December 31, 2022
Officers in this sector began to see a marked increase in crossings and arrests starting in May 2022. The numbers continued to increase throughout the rest of the year, with the exception of May.
Over the past four months (August to November), officers in the Swanton area have apprehended 1,142 migrants. This exceeds the total of migrants apprehended in all of fiscal year 2022, which ended September 30.
The growing trend of migrants crossing the Canadian border into the Swanton area appears to be continuing in December.
In early December, agents from the Swanton sector working at the border near North Troy, Vermont, rescued several groups of migrants from freezing conditions, Breitbart Texas reported. One of the incidents involved a migrant family including young children.
Federal prosecutors are aggressively applying legal consequences to smugglers working in this area.
New York prosecutors have secured convictions against two men, two of whom smuggled eight migrants into the United States in October 2022, according to a tweet from Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Officer Robert Garcia.
Two men were recently convicted of attempting to smuggle a total of 8 subjects who illegally entered the United States on October 8 near Champlain, New York. Both face up to 10 years in federal prison.
Learn more about @NDNYnews https://t.co/ILh61sszFm & https://t.co/oQi2zJUqAg pic.twitter.com/QWraVZwboA– Chief Patrol Officer Robert Garcia (@USBPChiefSWB) December 29, 2022
A few days earlier, a Honduran had pleaded guilty to smuggling five migrants from Guatemala and Italy to New York. The Honduran was sentenced to two years in prison, Garcia tweeted.
“A Honduran national arrested by #Border Patrol in August 2021 in Churubusco, NY, for the trafficking of 5 subjects, citizens of Guatemala and Italy, recently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for his crimes. Great job Agents Burke! #Border Security pic.twitter.com/E5q1FlQXTg
– Chief Patrol Officer Robert Garcia (@USBPChiefSWB) December 27, 2022
Bob Price is associate editor and main contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What are you getting at? Sunday morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Confront
