LYNDEN, Wash. — A cable barrier was installed along a section of the border between Washington state and Canada in an effort to curb "dangerous criminal enterprises," according to a statement from the U.S. Border Patrol Wednesday.
The cable fence runs between Boundary Road in the U.S. and 0 Avenue in Canada.
The barrier is designed to prevent vehicles either "accidentally, or purposefully, crossing the boundary and endangering citizens in both countries," the statement said.
"This safety cable barrier not only protects people in the United States and Canada, but it also aids in securing this portion of the border by deterring illegal vehicle entries in both directions," said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Tony Holladay in a prepared statement. "Locally in our community, trans-national criminal organizations have capitalized on this vulnerable area by smuggling both narcotics and people. The enhancement to this specific border area mitigates the threat posed by these dangerous criminal enterprises."
The section of the border near Lynden, Wash., where the barrier is being constructed, has been used as a meeting place for families and friends during the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S.-Canada border has been closed to all non-essential travel since March to help limit the spread of the virus.
Families have met on either side of a ditch that splits the two countries near Boundary Road and 0 Avenue.
It was not clear as of Wednesday evening if the barrier was already planned for construction or if it's being built as a result of the pandemic.
