(NewsNation) — A stretch of the northern border between Houlton, Maine, and Canada was closed for several hours Monday evening after a Rhode Island man led police on a chase.
According to Maine State Police, the driver’s vehicle indicated it may have had explosives on board.
Tony Holford, 42, initially refused to pull over for a Maine State trooper. While in pursuit, the trooper noticed a sign on the vehicle suggesting the vehicle’s trunk had explosives, according to police.
When Holford approached Canada’s port of entry, troopers ordered him out of his truck again. When he refused again and continued to drive towards the border, police opened fire on the vehicle, missing Holford.
He was eventually charged with aggravated reckless conduct, terrorizing and failure to stop.
Investigators reported finding no explosives inside the truck.
The incident happened as the U.S. is now trying to increase its patrolling of the northern border as illegal crossings from Canada into the U.S. have sharply increased.
The more than 5,000-mile-long border between the U.S. and Canada has caused some on Capitol Hill to express concerns about a lack of security. Currently, there are less than 3,000 agents covering the northern border, compared to the nearly 20,000 agents stationed at the southern border, which is only about 2,000 miles long.
Meanwhile, apprehensions at the northern border are approaching 100,000, 90% of last year’s total, according to Customs and Border Protection.
Compared to last year, apprehensions at the northern border are up more than 70%, with about 5,500 Mexican nationals caught trying to enter the U.S. from the north.
According to officials, the majority of people apprehended at the northern border are migrants from Mexico who fly to Canada to try to cross into the U.S. where the border is less secure in New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.
Some Republicans say President Joe Biden’s administration has lost operational control over the northern border. Some Democrats agree that there need to be more agents stationed in the north, but say calling it a loss of operational control is an exaggeration.
