Swanton Sector Border Patrol officials report an increase in migrant apprehensions of nearly 743 percent in the first quarter of FY23 despite life-threatening weather conditions in the Canadian border region of Vermont and New York.

During the first three months of the new fiscal year, Swanton Sector agents apprehended 1,146 migrants who crossed the border from Canada into Vermont and New York, according to the CBP Nationwide Encounters report. This compares to 136 migrant apprehensions during the same period in FY22 — an increase of nearly 743 percent.

Swanton Sector agents apprehended more migrants during this period than during the entire FY22 reporting period, the CBP report reveals.

Since May 1, 2022, Swanton Sector agents experienced seven straight months of increases in apprehensions. Between May 1 and December 31, agents took 1,866 migrants into custody. This compares to the 2,004 migrants that were apprehended during FY20-22 combined.

“Combined apprehensions and encounters in Fiscal Year 2023 have already surpassed that of Fiscal Year 2022 and recent trends represent a sustained increase in illegal border crossings as we head into the harshest winter months,” Swanton Sector officials said in a written statement. “Swanton Sector’s terrain along the International Boundary with Canada includes rural and remote areas and ranges from mountains to lowland swamps. During the regional winter, which encompasses an extended season due to the sector’s geographic location and weather patterns, sustained sub-freezing temperatures subject both large and small bodies of water within our area of operations to freezing over.”

“Swanton Sector’s greatest concern in carrying out our mission of border security is the preservation of life—the lives of community residents we are sworn to protect, the lives of our Border Patrol Agents carrying out the mission day-in and day-out in the field, and the lives of the individuals, families, and children we are charged with apprehending as they attempt to circumvent legal processes for entry,” Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia said in the statement. “Unfortunately, the transnational criminal organizations that stand to profit from the increased flow of human traffic care only about profits and have no concern for the welfare of those whose plight they seek to exploit for financial gain.”

Early in December, Swanton Sector agents working the border near North Troy, Vermont, rescued multiple migrant groups from freezing conditions, Breitbart Texas reported. One of the incidents involved a migrant family including small children.

Federal prosecutors are aggressively applying legal consequences to human smugglers working in this area.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX