Two suspects in an unusual incident that shut down the international border between Woodstock, N.B., and Houlton, Maine last Friday are brothers.
CTV News has learned that two brothers who were the focus of a search-and-rescue operation in Halifax three years ago have the same names and dates of birth as the men who are suspects in the border standoff.
Law enforcement officials on both sides of the border are involved, along with border services from both countries, and even U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
ICE confirmed to CTV News on Tuesday that the suspect in custody at the Cumberland County jail in Portland, Maine is Damien Nicholas Roy, a 22-year-old from Middle Sackville, N.S.
“(He) was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol on immigration violations and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. He is currently in ICE custody at the Cumberland County Jail, located in Portland, Maine, pending immigration proceedings,” John Mohan, a spokesman for ICE, wrote in an email.
The other suspect, who made a brief court appearance in Woodstock, N.B., is 21-year-old Bailey Roy of Fairfax Drive in Halifax.
Bailey Roy has been charged with mischief over $5,000, obstruction, and common nuisance.
Bailey Roy remains in custody, but has a bail hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
In October 2015 two brothers with the same names and dates of birth were the focus of a search-and-rescue operation in Halifax.
The two men - then aged 18 and 19 - were reported missing, prompting a search in the Kearney Lake area.
One of them returned home to Fairfax Drive in the middle of the night, but left without talking to family.
Eventually, the whole search was called off, but police eventually found the men while dealing with another matter.
The border incident on Friday caused major hassles for hundreds of people.
U.S. officials said they process between 3,000 and 4,000 passengers on an average Friday.
The crossing was shut down after a vehicle simply stopped in the area between the U.S. and Canada.
Authorities have said neither man would respond to commands from border agents or police.
Kevin Peck, who lives in Woodstock, drove by the car before the border closed down.
“I saw this strange vehicle parked in the middle … between the Canada and the U.S. border,” Peck told CTV News. “It was a late 60s, early 70s blue vehicle with no licence plate on it, so it was very strange. There was room to pass on the left-hand side, and as I was passing by I kind of glanced over and there were two gentlemen in the car that were not moving, looking straight ahead, and the windows were all fogged up.”
Around 4:20 p.m., the car moved toward the U.S. side, and the men were arrested.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Bruce Frisko.
