A United States border agent was gunned down during a traffic stop in Vermont near the Canadian border, officials have confirmed.
It happened around 3:15 p.m. Monday on Interstate 91 in Coventry, 20 miles from the Northern border, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The agent was identified as David C. Maland, a 13-year veteran who was assigned to the Newport Vermont Border Patrol Station, federal law enforcement sources tell The New York Post.
The FBI said in a statement that one of the suspects was killed and a second suspect was injured and taken into custody. There was no immediate information on what prompted the shooting.
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman issued a statement saying that the “incident is being swiftly investigated.”
“Today, January 20, a Border Patrol agent assigned to the US Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector was fatally shot in the line of duty,” he wrote. “Every single day, our Border Patrol agents put themselves in harm’s way so that Americans and our homeland are safe and secure. My prayers and deepest condolences are with our Department, the Agent’s family, loved ones, and colleagues.”
Federal authorities did not provide additional details but said they would be released as they became available. There is no further threat to the public. A portion of Interstate 91 was closed in both directions for about two hours afterward on Monday. The northbound lane reopened just after 5 p.m.
Besides federal authorities, the Vermont State Police was also investigating. The FBI responded from the Albany, New York, office.
In a joint statement, Vermont’s Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint sent condolences to the agent’s family and said Border Patrol agents “deserve our full support in terms of staffing, pay and working conditions.”
Coventry is close to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Newport Station, part of the Swanton Sector. The area includes 295 miles of international boundary with Canada.
