Eyewitness News Special Report: Eyes Along the Border

Posted at: 11/21/2011 7:48 PM | Updated at: 11/21/2011 10:55 PM
By: Katey Rusch

More than 500 miles of Minnesota borders Canada. But have you ever thought of the security that is needed to keep the international boundary safe? The security efforts may surprise you.

"We'll see a lot of local fishermen," said Kirk Aili, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer. "That's the majority of activity up here."

These officers guard a part of the Minnesota Canadian border that's lined by water.

One of four border patrol stations in Minnesota this International Falls based unit is responsible for this 143 mile stretch. Their terrain is the woods and water of the north country.

"One of the big things that brought me to this job was being outside all the time," said Aili.

It's quite the contrast from the mexican border where most of these officers trained. The drug trade is tamer, fewer aliens try to cross into America illegally. But even so sometimes the same problems that plague the Border Patrol in Arizona plague the Border Patrol I-Falls.

"It could be people. It could be drugs. There are a lot of things they are trying to smuggle across the border," said Aili.

One of the most common places to find drug smugglers and stowaways near International Falls is on a the border crossing trains.

The Ranier Station checks an average seven trains a day on this Canadian National Line.

"We're looking in the nooks and crannies and making sure to see if there are any items that are stashed here that aren't part of the locomotive," said Chad Shikowsky, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer.

Just like the trains coming from Mexico, the rail cars from Winnipeg are x-rayed and sometimes even here in sleepy Ranier officers will spot a stowaway.

"Most of the time if we do see riders they will be in the cargo out there," said Shikowsky.

Officers said squatters hop on the warm engine room of the train, not knowing where they're going. Sometimes the officers say a person will get on in Mexico travel to Canada and not realize where they are until reach Ranier.

On the road the same X-ray machines are used to check cargo trucks for drugs and stowaways.

Each and every semi that passes from Canada to I-Falls is scanned. Officers look for irregularities in the X-ray images stopping any trucks that look slightly suspicious.

"If I am in doubt we will park them and I will look," said Tom Adair a Customs and Border Protection Officer.

On the water since every boat isn't scanned it's a little harder to tell who's a fisherman and who's a smuggler. But officers say they know what tell-tale signs to look for.

"If there isn't any gear in the boat and they are claiming to be fisherman then obviously that will lead to a different line of questioning," said Aili.

But since this staff can't be everywhere at once, oftentimes security up here is about trust. That's where OAR's or Outlying Area Reporting stations come in. They allow boaters to check into the U.S. via a video call.

"This station works for people who maybe only come to fish up in the International Falls station once or twice a year," said Brian King, Port Director of the Warroad Minnesota Port of Entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection counts on these folks to check in even if no one is watching.

"We are dealing with low risk individuals that call us," said King. "So we have to kind of take that into account what you're dealing with."

For the most part officers say these low risk individuals do everything right. But one item that travelers keep trying to bring unwittingly through this part of the border is oranges.

"Our agriculture mission is huge here," said Kristine Lessard, Port Director for the I-Falls Port of Entry. "It's important that we are paying attention to the food items and the cargo that's coming across that might have pests or nocuous weeds."

Travelers are not allowed to bring citrus fruits into America. A little known fact to most border crossers which is why citrus fruits are the most confiscated item at the I-Falls Port of Entry.

"Fruit flies are a big issue right now," said Agricultural Specialist Gene Krause. He inspects every piece of fruit and then destroys everything.

While this border station's worries about oranges may seem minor compared to the smuggling of drugs and humans. To these officers all border protections are important in keeping Minnesotans free from danger.

"We're keeping Americans safe," said Lessard. "Tell me what's more important than that."

If a career in the Border Patrol or U.S Customs and Border Protection interests you, they are hiring.

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