A federal officer killed while on duty near the Canadian border has been identified as David Maland, a U.S. Air Force veteran who provided security at the Pentagon during the Sept. 11 attacks, according to family members.
“He was a devoted agent who served with honor and bravery,” his loved ones said. “He had a tremendous respect and pride for the work he did; he truly embodied service over self.”
Maland was killed on Monday near the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Newport Station in the Swanton Sector, a region spanning swaths of Vermont, parts of New York and New Hampshire, and includes 295 miles of international boundary with Canada.
According to a statement from the FBI, Maland pulled over a vehicle around 3 p.m. on Interstate 91 in Orleans County, a small community located in the remote Northeast Kingdom section of Vermont, just miles from the Derby Line–Rock Island Border Crossing.
“During the course of the traffic stop, an exchange of gunfire occurred, and Agent Maland was struck,” the FBI said.
The exact circumstances of the traffic stop and the shooting were not provided, but the FBI said a German national — in the U.S. on a current visa — was also killed in the violence. A third individual, who was wounded, was taken into custody and remains hospitalized.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s thoughts and prayers are with Agent Maland’s family during this difficult time,” the agency said.
Vermont’s Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint similarly sent condolences to the agent’s family in a joint statement and said Border Patrol agents “deserve our full support in terms of staffing, pay and working conditions.”
Gov. Phil Scott also mourned the agent, calling his death “tragic” in a post on X while vowing to support the FBI’s ongoing investigation into the violence.
“This is a reminder of how perilous the work of law enforcement can be, putting their lives on the line to protect our communities,” he wrote. “My thoughts are with the entire law enforcement community during this time of grief.”