A U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed in Vermont near the Canada-U.S. border, authorities said

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

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) identified the agent as David C. Maland, who was assigned to the US Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector, which covers the combined border of upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, eastern Ontario and Quebec.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s thoughts and prayers are with Agent Maland’s family during this difficult time,” the CBP statement said.

Vermont State Police said in a statement that the shooting occurred around 3:15 p.m. ET on Interstate 91 in the Coventry, Vermont area, which is about 30 kilometers south of the official border crossing in Stansted, Que.

Local TV station WCAX She reported that the agent He was shot during a traffic stop. She added that another person was shot dead and another was wounded.

The shooting incident is being investigated by US federal authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from state authorities, according to Vermont State Police. The southbound lanes of Interstate 91 remained closed late Monday evening, while the northbound lanes were open, she said.

“My prayers and deepest condolences are with our administration and the agent’s family, loved ones, and colleagues,” Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Hoffman said in a statement.

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

“We are deeply saddened by the death of a US Border Patrol officer today in the line of duty in Vermont,” the statement read. “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-US border.

Most crossings in this region occur along the northern border of New York State and Vermont with eastern Ontario and Quebec.

In November 2024, U.S. Border Patrol agents intercepted a Venezuelan national who crossed into the United States via Stansted, Que., on a motorcycle and was found in possession of a loaded .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a silencer and two Glock magazines totaling 30 9-millimeter rounds.

US President Donald Trump linked his threats to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods to illegal crossings and the flow of fentanyl south across the border. The Canadian government recently announced it has spent more than $1 billion on additional border security measures that will see helicopters, drones and new officers patrolling.

Illegal crossings from Canada through the Swanton sector in December fell sharply from a year earlier, according to the latest U.S. data. Border authorities intercepted 510 people in December 2024, compared to 1,178 during the same month in 2023.