Tragedy as US Border Patrol agent shot dead 'in line of duty' near Canada border
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A US Border Patrol agent was shot dead "in the line of duty" on Monday. The horror attack happened on a highway in northern Vermont south of the Canadian border, authorities said. The death was confirmed by the FBI and Benjamine Huffman, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington.
A suspect in the shooting was killed and a second suspect was injured and taken into custody. The encounter occurred on Interstate 91 in Coventry, about 20 miles (32 km) from the Canadian border, the FBI told the media. Mr Huffman said: "Every single day, our Border Patrol agents put themselves in harm’s way so that Americans and our homeland are safe and secure." He stressed the death would be “swiftly investigated.”.
There is no ongoing threat to the public, authorities stressed. They did not, however, provide any further details, including the identity of the agent. They were assigned to the US Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector, which encompasses Vermont and parts of New York and New Hampshire.
A portion of Interstate 91 was closed in both directions for about two hours afterward. The northbound lane reopened just after 5 p.m. Besides federal authorities, the Vermont State Police was also investigating. The FBI responded from the Albany, New York, office.
Coventry is close to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Newport Station, part of the Swanton Sector. The area includes 295 miles (475 kilometers) of international boundary with Canada. The shooting happened hours after Donald Trump had been sworn in for a second time as US president in Washington. Crowds gathered despite freezing -6C temperatures - but many of them did not catch a glimpse of the 78-year-old politician as he was sworn in away from the cold.
