Border Patrol Agent presents to Chinook men's group

Border Patrol Agent David Entrot made a presentation at the March meeting of the Chinook Christian Men's Group. The men's organization meets monthly for breakfast, fellowship and a presentation on some topic of interest. Entrot recently moved to Chinook to serve with the Havre Border Patrol Station.

David Entrot grew up in Pennsylvania and graduated from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania with a degree in criminal justice. After college he joined the Coast Guard, serving in New Jersey and the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After the Coast Guard, Entrot joined the Border Patrol where he's served for 10 years. He said, "After initial training in Artesia, New Mexico, my first duty station was in Alamogordo, New Mexico. After completing my probationary period, I was a canine handler, assisting with drug interdiction and locating individuals attempting to evade detection."

In 2009 he transferred to Warroad, Minnesota where he used his skills from the Coast Guard as a boat driver and marine instructor. In Minnesota he worked an area including the Rainy River and the Lake of the Woods. While at the Warroad Station he was the driver of the watercraft that took a diver to successfully rescue a passenger trapped in a pleasure craft that sank.

In the summer of 2015, Entrot transferred to the Havre Station where he conducts patrols of the border region in a vehicle and via ATV's. He will use his boating knowledge when he conducts planned boat training for agents at the St. Mary's Station. The Havre Station covers an area from north of Chester to Turner.

Mission and operation of the Border Patrol

The primary mission of the Border Patrol is to protect the country by reducing the threat from dangerous people and materials from entering the U.S. Entrot made the point, "The Border Patrol is responsible for the areas between the regular ports of entry, Customs and Immigration monitor the actual ports of entry." The 'areas between the ports of entry' include 6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian international borders and more than 2,000 miles of coastal waters around the Florida Peninsula and Puerto Rico.

Operationally, the Border Patrol relies on manned patrols, video monitors and night vision scopes to detect illegal entries. Agents patrol the borders by vehicle, boat, all-terrain vehicle, bicycle and afoot. To fulfill its mission, the Border Patrol has 21,400 employees. The Patrol also collaborates with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to accomplish its mission.

Some unique logistical locations

Entrot described his time in Minnesota where a small part of the U.S. is attached to Canada and only accessible by boat, plane or driving through Canada to reach that part of the U.S. That small sliver of land is called Angle Inlet. Accessing Angle Inlet could involve the use of several different modes of transportation, depending on the type of mission being done and the weather.

Agent Entrot said the main challenges along the northern and southern borders of the U.S. are the remoteness of the area and weather. Working the southern border, agents deal with 115-degree heat in the summer and along the northern border can routinely face -40 degree conditions during winter. He added, "Some of our areas of responsibility down south require us to work with limited backup while encountering groups of twenty-five to fifty people."

In closing Entrot noted the Border Patrol is regularly recruiting new employees. Applicants must be between 18-37 years of age. Varying work experience and educational background will determine what types of jobs might be available. Find more information by going to http://www.usajobs.gov or calling 406-262-5676.