The number of apprehensions in March 2024 is the highest in the sector’s nearly 100-year history, chief says
A U.S. border patrol sector in Vermont has apprehended a record number of attempted illegal crossings from Canada in a single month.
Officials in the U.S. Border Patrol’s (USBP) Swanton Sector in Vermont saw 1,109 apprehensions in March 2024, the highest recorded by the sector in a single month.
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“The top three nationalities apprehended were 408 Indian, 323 Bangladeshi, and 170 Mexican nationals,” according to the Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia. People from 40 different countries were apprehended in total, he added. National Post has reached out to Swanton Sector’s headquarters for comment.
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The Swanton unit is in charge of a 475-kilometre border shared by the U.S. and Canada, starting immediately east of the Great Lakes. The border is shared with Quebec and Ontario, with about 327 km linked by land and close to 150 km consisting of a water boundary, primarily the St. Lawrence River.
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The sector includes close to 62,160 km of territory across the entirety of Vermont, three counties in New Hampshire and four in upstate New York.
According to Gracia, the number of apprehensions made in the Swanton Sector have increased dramatically this year and last.
The number of apprehensions in fiscal year 2023 were higher than the previous 11 years combined, he wrote on X. Since the start of the 2024 fiscal year (Oct. 2023), he added, the number of apprehensions has “doubled” compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year.
USBP defines apprehensions as the “physical control or temporary detainment of a person who is not lawfully in the U.S. which may or may not result in an arrest.” This can include multiple apprehensions of the same person.
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Elise Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman representing New York, put the higher figures in surprising context.
“We’ve seen an 800 per cent increase in the Swanton sector, which is the part of the northern border that I represent, in illegal crossings,” she told Fox News earlier this year.
The crossing in Swanton is especially “perilous” around this time of year due to extended winters, freezing bodies of water and the difficult terrain, which includes lowland swamps, mountain ranges and rural and remote areas.
“Unpredictable storm fronts bring ice and significant snow accumulation throughout the extended winter season,” USBP says on its website. “Swanton Sector Border Patrol continues to encounter family groups with children (aged as young as a few months old) crossing uncertain terrain in single-digit (Fahrenheit) temperatures,” the release adds.
In the 2023 fiscal year, 30,010 Indian nationals were apprehended trying to enter the U.S. from Canada, including at airports, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures cited in the Daily Mail. That is a sharp increase from 17,331 recorded in 2022 the outlet reported.
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This includes 1,630 Indian nationals in the 2023 fiscal year who were apprehended between ports of entry, meaning they were trying to cross without being detected, the Daily Mail reported. In 2023-2024, the total is 2,454, with six months still left in the fiscal year.
Chirag Patel, a Maryland-based immigration lawyer, told Voice of America an increase in illegal crossings might be attributed to the upcoming U.S. election, with people trying to cross ahead of possibly stricter border policies under a potential Donald Trump presidency.
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Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.
Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.
Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.
Here’s a look at Feb. 27, 2026, results for each game:
11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23
Check Vermont Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
03-22-25-35-37
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 8-7-9
Evening: 5-3-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 3-4-6-6
Evening: 8-5-3-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
03-04-13-28-42, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.
For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.
All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.
Vermont Lottery Headquarters
1311 US Route 302, Suite 100
Barre, VT
05641
Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.
How to see a reindeer in Vermont
Vermont Reindeer Farm in West Charleston is home to the only three reindeer, or caribou, living in the state. Here’s what it’s like to visit them.
Looking for ways to enjoy the rest of the cold New England winter?
While staying indoors often seems better than facing the cold, the region has lots of outdoor activities that brighten the winter season, including skiing, snow tubing and, of course, ice skating. From Burlington to Stratton, Vermont has plenty of indoor and outdoor ice rinks, many of which offer lessons, concessions and special events in addition to ice skating.
Here are five places in Vermont where you can go ice skating this winter.
This outdoor ice rink is located in the heart of the village at Spruce Peak, a ski resort in Stowe formerly known as Stowe Mountain Lodge.
Guests can skate daily surrounded by the majestic ski slopes of the Green Mountains. On Friday nights, the Spruce Peak Village ice rink hosts glow skate parties with a light show, glow sticks and a live DJ. Skate rentals and lessons are also available for purchase.
When: Noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday or noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: Spruce Peak, 7412 Mountain Road, Stowe
Located up at Jay Peak Resort near the Canadian border, Ice Haus Arena is the newest ice-skating arena in the state. The indoor rink is complete with bleacher seating, a rental and repair shop, four locker rooms, a pro shop, a snack bar and of course, an NHL-sized rink where guests can participate in public skating or skating with sticks and pucks.
General admission to the rink is $6, with skate rentals available for $6, skate sharpening available for $7 and helmets available for $3.
When: Online schedule updated daily
Where: Jay Peak Resort, 830 Jay Peak Road, Jay
This indoor arena has not one, but two NHL-size ice rinks for hockey, public skating and stick and puck practices. Off the ice, Cairns Arena also offers a pro shop and a cafe with hot food, snacks and drinks.
Skating at Cairns costs $5 for adults or $3 for children and seniors, and skates are available to rent for an additional $5.
When: 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Thursday, with exceptions. Check the online schedule at cairnsarena.finnlyconnect.com..
Where: 600 Swift St., South Burlington
Surrounded by the scenic Stratton Mountain Resort, Mill House Pond is the perfect outdoor spot for public ice skating or skating lessons.
Public skating costs $20, and bookings can be made online.
When: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday or noon to 6 p.m. Thursday-Friday and Sunday-Monday
Where: Stratton Mountain Resort, 5 Village Lodge Road, Stratton Mountain
A large indoor sports facility, Northshore Civic Center has an Olympic-sized ice rink, along with a concession stand and retail shop. The rink offers public skating, stick and puck practice, hockey and skating lessons.
When: Check the online schedule for weekly updates
Where: 410 Hunter Park Road, Manchester Center
Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Vermont rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 375 in the week ending February 21, up from 357 the week before, the Labor Department said.
U.S. unemployment claims rose to 212,000 last week, up 4,000 claims from 208,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 132.0%. Michigan, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.9%.
USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.
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