As U.S. Devotes Resources to Mexican Border, Agents Face Unique Challenges to the North

By Rick Leventhal
Published March 08, 2011
FoxNews.com

The northern U.S. border with Canada is 4,000 miles long, largely unfenced, unmarked and unguarded. Much of the terrain is remote and rugged, making it difficult for border agents to monitor using traditional methods.

The challenging landscape and lack of manpower may have contributed to the results of a recent Government Accountability Office study suggesting less than 1 percent of the northern border had an acceptable level of security in 2010. The study also found the Border Patrol was aware of all illegal crossings on only 25 percent of the 4,000 miles.

While not commenting specifically on the GAO report, Border Patrol agents tell Fox News they're covering a lot more ground with a lot less manpower than their fellow agents in the south.

The southern border is about half as long, at 1,952 miles, but there are 18,000 agents assigned to California, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.

That's nine agents per mile. There are 2,200 agents assigned to the north, the equivalent of one agent for every two miles of territory, forcing the federal government to depend on state and local officers for backup.

“The Border Patrol can’t do the job alone up here," says Chief Patrol Agent John Pfeifer, who runs the Swanton Sector in Massena, N.Y. "We rely on those other agencies to help us secure the border."

Border agents took Fox News on an exclusive ride-along on Snowcat snowmobiles along the frozen St. Lawrence River to demonstrate just how difficult and challenging the landscape can be. The morning ride took place in arctic conditions with snow and high winds bringing the "feels like" temperature to near zero. Even the Snowcats had trouble in some of the thicker drifts.

Dressed in a thick snowsuit, warm winter boots and helmet, Agent Glenn Pickering told Fox he looks for "anything out of place… any snowmobiles coming across the river, anything that looks out of the ordinary.â€