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17 arrested during 3-day Border Patrol checkpoint in New Hampshire

WOODSTOCK, N.H. — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested 17 people for immigration violations during a three-day sting in New Hampshire, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Agents set-up an immigration checkpoint Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on I-93 near Woodstock.

During the 3-day operation, agents arrested 17 people who did not have legal immigration status, six of whom had expired visas. Those arrested were from Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Montenegro, Ukraine and Uzbekistan and all subjects were turned over to ICE Enforcement Removal Operations.

In addition to the immigration violations, agents seized drugs and drug paraphernalia, including a small amount of marijuana, hash oil and THC vape oil.

“Checkpoint operations are a critical enforcement tool for the enforcement of our immigration laws and are a part of our defense in depth strategy,” said Swanton Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia. “In addition to technology, manpower and intelligence, checkpoints help to deny access to major routes of egress away from the border and into our communities in the interior of the U.S.”

The Swanton Sector is responsible for securing the land border between ports of entry in Vermont, New Hampshire and northeastern New York.

On Monday, Boston 25 News spoke with a woman who lives in New Hampshire and was stopped at the checkpoint. She said she felt like the checkpoint was "racial profiling."

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