PARIS — With Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School’s French Club about to embark on the school district’s first international trip since 2019, teacher Jolene Twombly-Wiser wanted her students to be properly briefed on the traveling outside of Maine’s borders – in this instance through Jackman into Quebec.

Senior Agent John Crosby & Agent Veronica Atkinson with Rangeley’s Border Patrol Station paid a visit to the school to talk with students about entering – and returning from – other countries.

Twombly-Wiser’s class was joined by Oxford Hills Tech School law enforcement students and their instructor Roland Godbout and received a separate presentation about the responsibilities and opportunities of a career in border patrol.

There are two enforcement units that work alongside each other on U.S. borders, Crosby explained.

“Those are they guys that you will talk with,” he said. “We’re the office of field operations and our job is to patrol along the points of entry, looking for people who are circumventing them to avoid getting inspected.

Senior Agent John Crosby (left) and Agent Veronica Atkinson of the Rangeley Border Patrol Station are introduced to high school students by Oxford Hills Tech School law enforcement educator Roland Godbout last Thursday. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat

Border Etiquette

The agents that students traveling to Quebec will encounter represent U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“We want to inform you how to act, what not to bring over or bring back,” he continued. “When you go you’re not only representing the school, but also the state of Maine and the United States and it’s important to be on your best behavior.

“In Quebec if you get in trouble, they might not let you back. [Chaperones] may have to leave you at the border. Your teachers are not going to bring you back to Maine. You will have to call your parents and have them come get you.”

Expectations for behavior in another country may be different than what Mainers are used to. For example, Crosby told of a situation where a chaperone of a school group ended up being detained at the border with Canada and had to pay a hefty bond in order to continued the trip.

“This person, he had gotten in a bit of trouble when he was 18, and had a record,” Crosby said. Even though the experience had occurred years years ago, when he arrived at the border it was discovered and took hours to work out. And he had to pay an extra $500 to enter the country.

“Canada is much stricter on driving laws. Anyone who has a drunk driving conviction in the U.S. is not allowed to enter Canada.”

Shopping merchandise is also something that customs agents pay attention to.

“There are things you are not allowed to enter the United States with,” Atkinson said. “Bones, like whale bones, cannot be brought back. Don’t bring back eggs! That’s a big issue lately.

“You cannot bring back any merchandise that is declared over $10,000. Customs agents have the right to search your vehicles, and people crossing over have no rights to stop it.”

Everyday items that people carry on their person, including mace, are illegal in Canada and will be seized.

“I know you won’t do this,” Crosby said. “But do not shoplift. Don’t be flippant or make jokes. And marijuana, even medicinal. It is legal in Maine and in Canada now too, but federally it is illegal so no one should take it along.”

The agents suggested that the lead chaperone on this trip, Twombly-Wiser, have everyone’s documentation and present it directly to the customs agent who boards their bus. And while minors are allowed to use their birth certificates for entry, any student 18 or older will be required to have a passport.

Border Careers

Crosby and Atkinson then talked about what it is like working for the Department of Homeland Security as a border patrol agent.

“I’ve been doing this for 11 years,” Atkinson said. “I grew up in a border town so I was already familiar with border patrol agents. I was stationed around Grande City, Texas.  I transferred to Rangeley with my husband, who is also an agent.

“We like it here, it’s nice, fun and different. The outdoors is our office. We have a lot of freedom in that sense.”

Working for Homeland Security is a good way to gain entry to law enforcement, the students learned. There is no experience required and the age requirement is 18 or older. Crosby said training is provided, including Spanish language skills, and college education is tuition-reimbursable. The work allows young agents to work with many agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“What you have to do is work the southern border,” Crosby said. “But over time you can transfer to other parts of the country and you could return back to Maine for your career.”

A few students saw border patrol as a safer alternative to other law enforcement jobs but Atkinson told them that while there is less risk working in Maine it is still dangerous work.

“You deal with cartels,” she said. “There are smugglers and there are shootings along our borders. You’re arresting people. The most I’ve ever arrested by myself is 20 people, and I was alone. You have to be prepared and make sure you have eyes on every one. You have to watch their hands.  And there are unaccompanied kids. They are sent alone with their information pinned to their clothes.”

Atkinson noted that only 5% of border patrol agents are female, and when going through training there are no breaks. “You have to physically prove yourself right at the start. [Exercises] that men have to do, women have to be be able to do it, too.”

“Learning about how the federal border agents handle illegal immigrants was extremely interesting but requires commitment to be willing to travel around the United States,” Godbout said following the presentation. “Most students liked that they could be employed at 18 years old and no college education was required.

“Being a border patrol agent is a possible career option [for law enforcement students]. Most found that the enticing aspect is the ability to possibly be assigned to Maine, having a variety of equipment to use such as ATV’s, snowmobiles, boats, trucks, etc.”

But a drawback for some of the students was not being able to work close to home in Maine or New England.

“Others stated that they already chosen to work for Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife or the Maine State Police or other local agencies, due to having family tradition or history with them.