HOULTON, Maine — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has a new top commander for the state following the swearing in of Daniel R. Hiebert as chief patrol agent. He becomes the 25th chief patrol agent for the CBP’s Houlton sector, which encompasses the entire state.
Based out of the sector headquarters located at 96 Calais Road in Hodgdon, Hiebert replaced acting Chief Patrol Agent Alfredo Casillas, who had served in that capacity since former Chief Patrol Agent Joseph Mellia retired last year. Casillas will revert to his post as deputy chief patrol agent.
Hiebert, who started his border patrol career in Texas in 1986 after a stint in the U.S. Army, took his oath of office as the new chief patrol agent during a special ceremony in Bangor on Aug. 19. He previously served as deputy chief patrol agent in Buffalo, N.Y.
“I received a call and was asked if I was interested in the chief patrol position in Houlton,” Hiebert said.
Having never been to Maine before, Hiebert said he first had to run it by his wife, Sylvia, to get her blessing before moving forward. The Hieberts came to Houlton in March and were given a taste of what a Maine winter was like.
“There was still about five or six feet of snow on the ground,” he said. “One of the things you do when you get into management is to manage your expectations, both of your employees and yourself. I looked things up, so nothing was a surprise.”
Hiebert said he was impressed by how beautiful the area was, even in the dead of winter.
“We were really taken aback by how pretty it was,” he said. “At that point, we were looking just to rent, but my wife said, ‘Let’s consider staying.’”
Hiebert said the Houlton sector is unique in that it is the only one of the border patrol’s 20 sectors nationwide that comprises only one state. The Houlton sector maintains stations in Calais, Fort Fairfield, Houlton, Jackman, Rangeley and Van Buren.
“The agents are all very passionate about their jobs and doing it the best they can,” Hiebert said.
One of his goals is to see that the Houlton sector achieves greater recognition for the efforts of the staff with the national headquarters.
“I want to make sure the work of all the border patrol agents here gets on the radar screen of our headquarters,” he said. “If nothing else, I want to highlight the good work and due diligence and dedication these people have for getting the mission accomplished.”
The challenge of his new position is the vast geographic area that agents must cover on a daily basis, he said. Hiebert said he hopes to continue working closely with state, local, federal and tribal law enforcement partners to supplement one another when needed.
Another unique aspect of the CBP is that all of its members are sworn as “peace officers” giving them arrest authority in the state. Maine is one of the few locations in the country where agents have this authority, Hiebert said.
“There is not a lot of perceived (criminal) activity in the Houlton sector, but there is a lot of work that goes in the apprehensions and arrests we make here,” he said. “We have a good handle on what is going on, but we need to remain vigilant. We need to find out when trends are changing and react appropriately.”
As chief patrol agent, Hiebert said one of his main duties will be to continually look at the “threat picture facing the border environment” and making adjustments to the deployments as needed.
“I believe in being transparent and leading by example,” Hiebert said. “I maintain high standards for myself and expect the same from the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Houlton sector, and value the efforts and contributions of those around me. I challenge individuals to be the best they can be, for at the end of the day, I only succeed if we all succeed.”
BDN reporter Evan Belanger contributed information on Hiebert’s swearing in ceremony.
