CALAIS, Maine — The Border Patrol agents who oversee Maine’s international boundaries have relied more on drones and other surveillance tools this year as they’ve stepped up their enforcement efforts under the new Trump administration and stopped more people.
The overall number of apprehensions by the Houlton Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection through the first five months of this fiscal year — which started in October — is up by 14 percent compared to the same time frame last year, officials said during an event for members of the media on Wednesday. At the same time, the number of illegal crossings by vehicles through Maine has decreased.
Patrol Agent Dylan Brandt attributed those changes to several things, including an increase in the use of surveillance tools, the addition of concrete barriers along sections of the border and more focus on detention and removal.
“Our agents are out there doing the job that they have always done, but we also have a variety of technology and infrastructure improvements we have been working on in the Houlton Sector,” he said during the event, which included various demonstrations in Calais and Eastport.
The Houlton Sector covers the entire state of Maine, including both land and coastal borders.
So far this fiscal year — from October 2024 through February — the agency reported apprehending 172 people in Maine, with 60 of those on the coast. From October 2023 to February 2024, it reported 123.
The increase in Maine apprehensions runs counter to a 40.5 percent drop across the whole northern U.S. border during the same time period, from 6,041 to 3,594.
Part of the explanation is that the Houlton Sector has doubled the number of drones available for field use this fiscal year. Previously, drone use was moved around depending on need, but now every station in Maine has drone capability and trained operators, Brandt said.
During Wednesday’s event, Patrol Agent Donald Lee used a drone to demonstrate how the agency surveys areas such as a railroad trestle between Calais and St. Stephen, New Brunswick, which is a common crossing site because it’s physically easier to do so there than by going through the river.
The two banks of the river are close enough that children playing in a Canadian park could be heard from the U.S. side during Wednesday’s demonstration.
The sector uses a variety of different drones with varying capabilities, including smaller light craft and bigger ones that come in a giant box and must be transported in the back of a truck.
The drones are equipped with heat vision and night vision capabilities, giving agents eyes on remote areas that were traditionally harder to patrol, especially in winter.
During the demonstration, Lee pointed to the infrared function on his monitor and explained that it’s helpful for both day and nighttime operations.
Drones are not only used for detecting illegal entries but also to support local law enforcement and search and rescue efforts, Brandt said. They capture video that can be used for later review.
“We have had multiple occasions this fiscal year where we used drones to effect an apprehension,” he said. “They always provide an extra element of officer safety for us.”
In addition to drones, the Houlton Sector agents use other surveillance tools including an enhanced mobile surveillance truck that is new to the Calais station, although they have used older models for several years, according to Patrol Agent James Trainor, who is in charge of the Calais station.
The surveillance trucks detect potential illegal activity through cameras and radar, Brandt said.
In addition to land technology tools, the Houlton Sector uses canine officers. During a demonstration on Wednesday, one dog, named Dan, helped find a person who was simulating hiding in the back of a vehicle.
The sector also has three boats that patrol the international border between Maine and Canada by boat at all hours. The agency’s Calais station is responsible for the water border extending from Vanceboro down to the New Hampshire border.
Including all bays and inlets, the coastal border stretches approximately 3,478 miles, according to Trainor. He noted that tides can reach up to 28 feet because of the Bay of Fundy, making that section particularly challenging to patrol.
Whether watching the maritime or land border, agents are looking for people crossing illegally or with illicit contraband, Brandt said.
“That could encompass anything from illegal entry to somebody conducting smuggling of drugs, ammo, guns, cash, illegal drugs, human trafficking, to the terrorism side of things,” he said. “Those are all threats we look for and anyone choosing to not cross at a port of entry is choosing to violate the law, and it’s someone we want to find and identify and leverage appropriate consequences.”
