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Border Patrol agent shot dead on Vermont highway near Canadian border, authorities say

Border Patrol Agent Shot and Killed in Vermont


Border Patrol Agent Shot and Killed in Vermont

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Coventry, Vt. — A U.S. Border Patrol agent was shot and killed Monday 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.

In a statement, the FBI said that in addition to the officer, a shooting suspect was killed and a second suspect was injured and taken into custody during the encounter on Interstate 91 in Coventry, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Canadian border.

According to the FBI, there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Huffman said the death occurred “in the line of duty.” The identity of the agent, who was assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector, was not immediately released. The sector includes Vermont and parts of New York and New Hampshire.

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Federal authorities did not provide additional details but said they will be released as they become available.

A portion of Interstate 91 was then closed in both directions for about two hours. The northbound lane reopened just after 5 p.m. In addition to federal authorities, the Vermont State Police also investigated. The FBI responded from its office in Albany, New York.

Huffman said the death would be “expeditiously investigated.”

“Every day, our Border Patrol agents put themselves in harm’s way so that Americans and our homeland are safe,” Huffman said in a statement.

Coventry is close to the US Customs and Border Protection Newport Station, part of the Swanton Sector. The area includes 475 miles of international border with Canada.

In a joint statement, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint sent their condolences to the agent’s family and said Border Patrol agents “deserve our full support in the areas of staffing, pay and working conditions.”

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