Canadian expelled after stealing boat and motoring to Maine

STEUBEN, Maine — The U.S Border Patrol and Coast Guard have arrested a Canadian man who stole a commercial fishing boat and motored toward Maine, officials said Tuesday.

U.S. law enforcement officials were alerted Monday morning that the boat was stolen from Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick and was headed toward the Maine coast.

The boat was intercepted by the Coast Guard and the sole occupant, a Canadian citizen, was taken into custody by the Border Patrol.

Jason Schneider, acting chief patrol agent, said he was thankful for the co-operation between multiple agencies.

“We rely on these individual partners to serve as a force multipliers for us, without them it would be nearly impossible to achieve the situational awareness needed to ensure the safety of our communities in Maine,” he said.

Under special rules because of the pandemic, the man was immediately expelled to Canada instead being prosecuted for illegally entering the U.S.

The Associated Press