HODGDON, MAINE – Chief Patrol Agent (A) of Houlton Sector Dennis Harmon welcomed Maine’s U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee and her staff from the Bangor office for a two-day tour of Houlton Sector’s northernmost border areas to discuss issues related to border security and Border Patrol operations.
The first day of the tour featured a morning briefing and presentation on Border Patrol agency history, Houlton Sector operations and enforcement statistics, and an overview of current cross-border smuggling threats.
The afternoon encompassed a tour around Houlton Station’s boundary area, including a boat tour of East Grand Lake, which sits on approximately 22 miles of the international border between the United States and Canada.
On the second day, the U.S. Attorney and her staff arrived in Van Buren Station’s area of operations, where they participated in VirTra training. VirTra is a law enforcement training simulator that exposes people to a wide variety of realistic law enforcement situations, including smuggling events, de-escalation scenarios, and active shooter threats.
After the VirTra training, a tour of Van Buren Station’s border area was conducted along the international boundary utilizing side-by-side off-road utility vehicles. The Attorney and her staff learned about the history of the International Boundary Commission and how the Northern Border infrastructure is maintained.
After lunch, the tour arrived at Fort Fairfield Border Patrol Station for a canine demonstration and Q&A session on Houlton Sector’s canine program, followed by closing remarks.
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