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was formally established in 1924 follow- ing the passage of Prohibition and the nation’s heightened attention on immi- gration. As liquor smuggling and human trafficking became significant concerns along the northern border, a majority of the original Border Patrol personnel were shipped north.
In 1924, as alcohol smuggling became common in Northwest Montana, a Bor- der Patrol outpost opened in Rexford, and then Eureka. The station relocated to Whitefish in 1930 and moved a few more times before permanently laying roots back in Whitefish.
In Northwest Montana, Border Patrol agents have the unique task of patrolling a large swath of dense forest and open land largely void of roads, cellular service and other common infrastructure. The responsibilities encompass land, air and water, such as Lake Koocanusa, which spans both countries. In these efforts, the Border Patrol works closely with local law enforcement and National Park Ser- vice officials, often aiding in search and rescue missions while depending on local officers for aid on occasion.
Technology has indeed evolved in recent decades and helped agencies such as the Border Patrol track suspects and gather intelligence. But this region’s duties can be as rugged as they were in the early days.
“As the guy in charge of the station, I’m
“I’VE SEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY DETERMINED TO COME INTO THE COUNTRY. I HAVE SEEN THEM TREK 20 MILES OVER MOUNTAIN RIDGES IN 110 DEGREES. IT’LL BLOW YOUR MIND WHAT EXTENT THEY’LL TAKE TO COME ACROSS.”
- BRIAN DEBRITA, U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENT
Recently Debrita and Chris Woywod, another border agent based in Whitefish, hiked 30 miles over two days through the mountains and trails of the park, check- ing sections and talking with hikers.
“They’re a very good source of infor- mation. A lot of these people have spent years hiking these trails,” Debrita said. “People know enough about the vulnera- bilities the country has and they’re usu- ally happy to help out.”
Woywod said he averages at least 100 miles of hiking each summer.
“I love being outdoors and it just comes natural to me. I’m comfortable with it,” he said.
Both Woywod and Debrita served in the Marine Corps before the Border Patrol, and both have long been inspired to serve their country.
Now they are inspired to defend their country.
“It’s that call of duty. It’s that feeling of being an American and being proud and having that mission of doing what you can to keep the public safe,” Woywod said.
Woywod said the 9/11 attacks 14 years ago motivated him to join the Border Patrol. It still motivates him today.
“It’s been a few years now (since 9/11) but I still have the same feeling,” he said. “If somebody bad wants to do something bad to this country, we’re like the sheep dog. We protect the flock.”
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trying to put together a defense strategy to deal with this terrain. That’s a chal- lenge,” Stratton, the chief of the White- fish station, said.
“When I first came here, to see these guys dealing with this terrain, I was very impressed. It blew my mind. That takes a high degree of commitment and focus. It’s that needle-in-the-haystack approach.”
The terrain can be both an advantage and an obstacle. The lack of infrastruc- ture, such as roads or large communities near both sides of the border, can deter most people from roughing it through the woods. But it can also provide cover for those few who are intent on crossing in secrecy.
“I’ve seen people who are very deter- mined to come into the country. I have seen them trek 20 miles over mountain ridges in 110 degrees,” Brian Debrita, a Border Patrol agent stationed in White- fish who transferred here from a New Mexico station a year ago, said. “It’ll
blow your mind what extent they’ll take to come across.”
From Sept. 30, 2013 to Oct. 1, 2014, there were 269 individuals detained at the border or for illegally crossing the border in the Spokane sector, which spans 308 miles from the Cascade Moun- tain Range to the Continental Divide in Glacier Park. The Havre sector, which covers the eastern portion of Glacier Park to Wyoming, a total of 456 miles, had 91 apprehensions in that same period.
The terrain of Glacier Park requires agents to be extremely physically fit and self-sufficient in the wild; local agents can spend several days on foot in the wilder- ness, searching for clues of possible illegal entry or talking with backpackers. While agents in other regions might spend most of their time dealing with high volumes of activity, much of the local agents’ job is similar to detective work, analyzing intelligence and reading the landscape for possible signs.
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