Border Patrol accuses 20 Romanians of illegally entering US|
HODGDON, Maine — Twenty Romanians in four cars crossed the U.S.-Canada border at Hodgdon illegally early Tuesday morning, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
At about 6:10 a.m. Tuesday, four cars were spotted crossing the international border and agents from the Houlton sector stopped them on Lincoln Road, Customs and Border Protection said.
Two of the 20 Romanians were in the Transnational Criminal Organized Crime database and have been processed for expedited removal proceedings, Border Patrol said.
Most of the people taken into custody — 10 adults and 10 children — were family members, according to the agency.
All were taken to Fort Fairfield for processing.
“This incident is indicative of an overall rise in apprehensions witnessed here in Houlton sector,” acting patrol agent in charge Dennis Harmon said in a statement. “In the last three Octobers, Houlton sector encountered a total of 33 individuals. In fiscal year 2024 alone, we’ve encountered 53.”
There were 53 border encounters this October, compared with seven last October, according to Customs and Border Protection data for the Houlton sector. In 2021, there were 57 border encounters in the entire year.
