Human smuggling efforts up, but border “closed to illegal immigration,” Swanton Border Patrol chief says

By Guy Page

Federal prosecutors in Vermont say they have charged 60 people over the past six weeks with crimes related to illegal crossings of the U.S.-Canada border, highlighting what they describe as a significant increase in unlawful border activity.

Two of the cases include illegal crossings at the bi-national Haskell Free Library in Derby Line.

Since May 22, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont has prosecuted 60 defendants from 20 different countries, with cases ranging from misdemeanor illegal entry to felony alien smuggling. Federal officials said the surge required court interpretation services in 12 different languages.

Among the 60 defendants:

• 60 people were prosecuted for border-related offenses since May 22.
• The defendants were citizens of 20 countries: Angola, Chile, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Iran, Ireland, Jamaica, Mauritania, Mexico, Romania, Senegal, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
• Four defendants were charged with felony alien smuggling.
• One defendant was charged with felony unlawful reentry after a prior removal.
• The remaining defendants were charged with misdemeanor illegal entry.

The prosecutions include two cases involving the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, the historic building that straddles the U.S.-Canadian border.

According to court records, Maria Paz Gonzalez-Vidal, 59, a citizen of Chile, purchased both Canadian and American tickets to a June 13 performance at the Haskell. Prosecutors allege she changed clothes inside the building in an apparent effort to facilitate an unlawful entry into the United States before exiting onto Main Street in Derby Line, where she was arrested. She pleaded guilty to illegal entry on June 15 and was sentenced to time served.

In a separate case, Diego Alejandro Restrepo-Vergara, 45, a citizen of Colombia, allegedly crossed the international border on foot near the Haskell on June 22 after flying from Panama to Montreal. He was arrested the following day in Newport. Prosecutors noted he possessed a valid U.S. tourist visa and could have legally entered the country through the Derby Line Port of Entry about 200 yards away. He pleaded guilty June 24 and also received a sentence of time served.

Federal prosecutors also detailed two recent alleged alien-smuggling investigations.

On June 11, Border Patrol agents stopped a minivan on Interstate 91 after tracking a vehicle linked to previous smuggling activity. Authorities charged Eduardo Luis Frias-Urena, 37, a lawful permanent resident originally from the Dominican Republic, with transportation of an illegal alien after agents found Romanian citizen Ion Tulceanu inside the vehicle. Tulceanu pleaded guilty to illegal entry and received time served, while Frias-Urena remains free on conditions pending trial.

In another case, Border Patrol agents responding to a June 20 crossing near Highgate located six people hiding in the woods, including a Colombian woman and a Congolese woman with her four children. Authorities later arrested Maimouna Diakhate, 24, of Senegal, and detained Oguzhan Yilmaz, 25, of Türkiye, after investigators allegedly linked him to Zelle payments from one of the migrants. Diakhate pleaded guilty to illegal entry and was sentenced to time served. Yilmaz is charged with attempted transportation of an illegal alien, while Sidney Lauryn Parra Torres of Colombia faces an illegal entry charge.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that defendants awaiting trial are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt credited U.S. Border Patrol agents for their enforcement efforts.

“Securing our northern border with Canada remains a significant national security priority,” Ophardt said. “Everyone crossing the border, including United States citizens, must do so at a designated port of entry. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize prosecution of those who unlawfully enter our country and those facilitating their unlawful entry.”

Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard Fortunato of the Swanton Border Patrol Sector said the border “is closed to illegal immigration” and thanked federal prosecutors for pursuing the 60 cases, calling their work critical to protecting the nation’s borders and enforcing immigration laws.