Border Patrol Agent Killed in Vermont Shootin

A US Border Patrol agent was shot and killed Monday afternoon on Interstate 91 in northern Vermont, about 12 miles from the Canadian border.

The shooting, which killed another person and wounded a third, is being investigated by the FBI’s Albany office as an assault on a federal officer, the agency said in a statement.

The victim was taken into custody, the statement said, but the FBI did not immediately announce charges or provide additional details.

Officials say the shooting happened around 3:40 p.m. in Coventry. Interstate 91 was initially closed, though the northbound lanes later reopened. The southbound lanes are expected to remain closed during the “prolonged closure,” Vermont State Police said in a news release.

The FBI said in a statement that it needed time to “gather evidence and process the scene,” adding, “While there is no immediate threat to the public, Interstate 91 will remain closed due to investigative activities.”

Northern border agencies have seen an increase in illegal crossing attempts in recent years, making more than 23,000 arrests during the fiscal year that ended in September, according to the US Customs and Border Protection. This number is more than double from last year.

Most of the arrests were made in the Swanton Sector, a vast rural border about 300 miles between Quebec, New York and northern New England, which includes Vermont. The worker who died was assigned to the Swanton area on Monday, officials said.

Vermont lawmakers in Washington expressed their condolences to the border agent’s family, and urged more support for the Northern Border Patrol. “Together, we must do everything possible to prevent future tragedies like what happened today,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, and Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint, both Democrats.

Canadian officials say much of the increase in border apprehensions comes from immigrants from India coming to Canada on temporary visas and then crossing the border into the United States.

Border officials have also seen an increase in encounters with migrants from Mexico flying into Canada and crossing into the United States. Most show up at ports of entry to claim asylum, while others try to sneak into the country.

Despite the increase, the number of illegal crossing attempts from Canada is still less than the number that occur at the southern border with Mexico.