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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The state’s biggest sporting event returns later this weekend.
The M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay is slated for its 35th Memorial Day weekend, and 36th edition overall, in Burlington. Over 4,600 racers, from marathoners, relay teams and handcyclists, will navigate through the streets of the Queen City on Sunday, May 24.
The race starts and finishes at Waterfront Park. This USATF-certified and sanctioned course connects two 13.1-mile loops in Burlington’s south and north ends the runners do twice to complete a full marathon.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of this year’s marathon weekend:
► Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026
► Time: 7 a.m.
► Starting and finish lines: Waterfront Park
► Race organizer: RunVermont Inc.
► Race sponsor: M&T Bank
► Past results from the VCM: BurlingtonFreePress.com.
► Friday, May 22 (1-7 p.m.): Sports & Fitness Expo at DoubleTree by Hilton, 870 Williston Road, South Burlington
► Friday, May 22 (6 p.m.): RunVermont Hall of Fame induction ceremony at DoubleTree by Hilton, 870 Williston Road, South Burlington.
► Saturday, May 23 (8:30 a.m.): RunVermont Vermont City Two Mile & Mini Marathon at Waterfront Park.
► Saturday, May 23 (9-6 p.m.): Sports & Fitness Expo at DoubleTree by Hilton, 870 Williston Road, South Burlington.
► Sunday, May 24 (7:15 a.m.): Marathon, relay start.
RunVermont designed a two-loop, 13.1-mile course. The map:
► As of May 19, there are roughly 2,000 runners signed up for the marathon; another 8 participants for the handcycle competition.
► There approximately 3,000 relay teams (2-person and 3-5 person squads).
► Of the registered runners, 71.5% hail from outside Vermont.
The cash prizes for this year’s Vermont City Marathon:
► Open women’s division: First place ($2,400), second place ($1,300), third place ($800).
► Open men’s division: First place ($2,400), second place ($1,300), third place ($800)
► Non-binary division: First place ($2,400).
► Handcycle winners: women ($700), men ($700).
► Pushrim wheelchair winners: women ($700), men ($700).
► Masters division winners: women ($700), men ($700).
► *Top Vermonters: women ($700), men ($700).
*Must have been a legal resident of Vermont since at least May 26, 2025.
► Men: 2:17:03, Michael Kobotov, 2001.
► Women: 2:33:40, Maegan Krifchin, 2023.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
The Pierson Library and The Flying Pig Bookstore invite you to an author talk with Vermont writer Stephen P. Kiernan, celebrating his new novel, Pollock’s Last Lover: A Novel of Art and Deception.
Set in New York City across the 1950s and early 2000s, the novel follows two women whose lives intersect through the legacy of painter Jackson Pollock. When a woman claims to possess his final painting, worth millions, a young auction house associate is tasked with verifying its authenticity, uncovering deeper questions of ambition, power, and artistic legacy. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Pierson Library
Free
07:00 PM – 08:00 PM on Wed, 27 May 2026
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 May 18, 2026, results for each game:
04-13-34-61-65, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
03-11-18-25-26
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 2-6-7
Evening: 1-3-6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 5-1-1-2
Evening: 1-0-2-9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
02-06-13-14-23, Megaball: 03
Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.
01-05-20-29-34, 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.
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