Border Patrol arrested two firefighters who were present in the United States illegally while working to contain the Bear Gulch Fire on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Federal land management agencies requested Border Patrol support as they terminated contracts with two firms following a criminal investigation. The Bear Gulch Fire has burned nearly 9,000 acres in the Olympic National Forest. Identity verification was requested because of the remote work site, and discrepancies led to identification of two people in the country illegally, one with a prior removal order. The arrested individuals were taken to Bellingham Station near the Canadian border, and firefighting operations continued.
By Celina Tebor, CNN Border Patrol agents arrested two firefighters Wednesday who they say were in the United States illegally while they were working to contain Washington state's biggest wildfire. The Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service had requested support from a local Border Patrol station as the agencies terminated work contracts with two firms on the Olympic Peninsula, according to a news release from US Customs and Border Protection.
The Bureau of Land Management requested that Border Patrol verify the identities of all the personnel present due to the remote location of the work site, the release states. Several discrepancies were identified, and two individuals were found to be present in the United States illegally, one with a previous order of removal, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. CBP said the two people were arrested and taken to Bellingham Station near the Canadian border.
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