The Piegan Border Patrol Station is located on US Highway 89 ten miles north of Babb in Montana across from the Canadian city of Carway. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operates the U.S. facility. This border crossing is frequently used to travel into Alberta when the Chief Mountain Border Station is closed for the winter.
Interdiction of Drugs in Montana
There is a long history of drug trafficking across the Montana. Smuggling efforts in this state have increased in recent years as trafficking along the Mexican border has become more difficult. As part of the Seattle Field Operations Office, the Piegan Border Station is part of the eastern flank of the Spokane Sector of the CBP.
Due to an initial arrest at a border post in Montana, the largest seizure of drugs in state’s history took place in 2011, leading to the arrest of 17 people in the U.S. and Canada. Over more than a two year period, they transported over one million tablets of MDMA (Ecstasy) into the U.S. Conversely, over 1000 kilograms of cocaine were transported into Canada from the U.S. Drug traffickers also bring marijuana that is highly potent and known as “Kind Bud” across the Montana border from Western Canada. Customs and Border Patrol agents contribute to national security by thwarting such efforts.
The Role of Piegan in the Fight Against Terrorism
The primary role of the DHS and the jobs of the Customs and Border Patrol agents are to prevent acts of terrorism. Due to concerns about the role of the northern border in U.S. Security, the number of Border Patrol agents deployed at the border with Canada has increased by 700% since 9/11. The CBP is again recruiting new agents who can meet the education and training requirements necessary to staff its border crossings.
Piegan is the third most heavily used border crossing in Montana. The Customs and Border Patrol agents at this location closely monitor those who would cross at this border to ensure that they have the proper documentation to enter the U.S. and are not bringing weapons or drugs into the country. Even locals now need a passport or other proof of citizenship, along with a photo ID, to cross into the U.S.