SEATTLE (AP) — A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol operation at the site of a wildfire on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula sparked condemnation by Sen. Patty Murray who said firefighters put their lives at risk to keep communities safe.
It was not immediately clear what the Border Patrol action was about, but several firefighters who witnessed the incident told The Seattle Times on condition of anonymity that federal agents demanded identification from firefighters working for two private contractors before taking two into custody.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond Thursday to email messages seeking comment.
Jennifer Risdal, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service’s Incident Management Team overseeing the fi