U.S. Border Patrol agents on Sunday arrested two Venezuelan people who they say were in the country illegally, after an investigation of an alleged theft in Brunswick.
The agency did not identify the people, but alleged that one of them was affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The arrest comes as agents from the Houlton Sector of U.S. Customers and Border Protection have ramped up their efforts to stop people crossing into the country illegally in recent months — in part due to orders from the new Trump administration — but as some cases in Maine have drawn scrutiny because local law enforcement cooperated with federal immigration officials on arrests.
Agents from the Houlton Sector of U.S. Customers and Border Protection determined that the people in Brunswick had previously entered the country illegally and had been released on their own recognizance, according to a press release.
In response to followup questions, CBP Public Affairs Officer Ryan Brissette said the names of the people arrested couldn’t be released because he believed their case was being administratively processed, which means their visas may be under review.
The two people were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Enforcement and are going through the process for removal from the country.
