U.S. Border Patrol agent killed in Vermont near Canada-U.S. border, say authorities

A U.S. Border Patrol agent was shot and killed in Vermont on Monday while performing their duties near the Canada-U.S. border, according to U.S. federal and state authorities. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement the agent was assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector, which covers the border shared by upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, eastern Ontario and Quebec. 

Vermont State Police said in a statement the shooting occurred at about 3:15 p.m. ET on Interstate 91 in the area of Coventry, Vt., which sits roughly 30 kilometres south from the official border crossing at Stanstead, Que. 

Local TV station WCAX reported that the agent was shot during a traffic stop. It said one other person was shot and killed and another was shot and wounded.

The shooting is being investigated by U.S. federal authorities, including the FBI, with the help of state authorities, according to the Vermont State Police. It said the southbound lanes of Interstate 91 remained closed late Monday evening, while the northbound lanes were opened. 

“My prayers and deepest condolences are with our Department, the Agent’s family, loved ones, and colleagues,” said acting secretary of homeland security Benjamine Huffman in a statement.

The Canada Border Services Agency also issued a statement of condolences.

“We are very saddened by the passing today of a U.S. Border Patrol officer while on duty in Vermont,” it said. “Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the family, friends, and colleagues of a respected member of the border security community.”

The Swanton Sector has the highest rate of illegal crossings from Canada anywhere along the Canada-U.S. border. 

Most crossings in this area occur along the upstate New York and Vermont borders with eastern Ontario and Quebec. 

In November 2024, U.S. Border Patrol agents intercepted a Venezuelan national who had crossed into the U.S. through Stanstead, Que., on a motorbike and who was found with a loaded .22 semi-automatic pistol, a suppressor and two Glock magazines totalling 30 9-millimetre rounds. 

U.S. President Donald Trump has tied his threats to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods to illegal crossings and fentanyl flowing south over the border. The Canadian government recently announced it was spending over $1 billion in additional border security measures that will see new helicopters, drones and officers patrolling it. 

Illegal crossings from Canada through the Swanton Sector in December decreased sharply compared to last year, according to the latest U.S. data. Border authorities intercepted 510 people in December, compared to 1,178 during the same month last year.