US Coast Guard Detains Canadian Fisherman, Capsizes Boat on Lake Champlain

Edouard Lallemand, a Canadian fisherman, alleges that the U.S. Coast Guard illegally detained him after accusing him of fishing in U.S. waters on Lake Champlain, despite his insistence that he was within Canadian territory. According to Lallemand, after he complied with orders to turn off his boat engine near Venise-en-Québec, the Coast Guard claimed he had crossed the border and subsequently pursued him, pushing his boat into U.S. waters where it capsized, causing him to fall into the water multiple times. He described the Coast Guard's response as neglectful, noting they secured his boat rather than assisting him promptly, and he was eventually handcuffed and transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who detained him for about two hours in wet clothes. Lallemand and his wife have expressed outrage over the incident, warning others to avoid boating near the border due to the risk of similar encounters. The case has raised broader concerns about enforcement practices on shared waterways and the potential for routine activities to escalate unexpectedly. The U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection have been contacted for comment but have not provided detailed responses.