In December, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that Richard Fortunato had been selected to the position of Patrol Agent in Charge (PAIC) at the Grand Marais Border Patrol Station. Fortunato is pictured here in his new office in the historic building that the Border Patrol shares with the U.S. Coast Guard.
In December, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that Richard Fortunato had been selected to the position of Patrol Agent in Charge (PAIC) of the Grand Marais Border Patrol Station. Fortunato has been the acting PAIC for more than a year now.
Fortunato and his family have been part of the community since 2003, when he was assigned to the Grand Marais station. His two daughters graduated from Cook County High School since then and his son is nearing the end of his high school career.
Fortunato was in Grand Marais when CBP proposed building a large new facility in Cook County in 2008. He said the conflict in the community over that proposal was difficult for local Border Patrol agents and their families. He said it was hard not to be bothered by some of the comments on anonymous blogs. However, he wasn’t too upset when the proposal was dropped due to budgetary constraints. “Would it have been nice to have a big new building? Yes. Do we have to have it? No,” he said contentedly.
Since then, the Grand Marais Border Patrol Station has moved most of its operations into the historic Coast Guard Station in downtown Grand Marais. The space became available when Grand Portage Monument staff moved to the Grand Portage Heritage Center near the historic fort. Fortunato said the move went well for Border Patrol and thankfully seems to have been accepted well by the community.
“Realistically, this works for us,” he said in an interview in his second-floor office which overlooks the Grand Marais harbor. It’s an office—and a view—he appreciates.
Fortunato said he has been careful about any changes made to the building. He recognizes that not only is the old Coast Guard station a historically protected building, it is one for which the community has a feeling of ownership. A Border Patrol sign is yet to be hung, as he is trying to find one that would look appropriate on the historic structure.
Fortunato has also made a concerted effort to reach out to the community and to let the public know that it is welcome to the Grand Marais Station. Shortly after being named acting PAIC, he invited members of the Grand Marais City Council, Cook County Board of Commissioners, and West End township representatives for tours and explanations of the Border Patrol mission in Cook County. “For a number of reasons, the relationship between the community and the Border Patrol was strained. But in my opinion, if you get to meet with people, if you talk to them and let them know they can talk to you, things improve,” he said.
Fortunato called the tours “Border Patrol 101.” He acknowledged that the structure of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection can be confusing and gave a brief explanation. He said Homeland Security is the umbrella over a number of agencies, such as the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and more.
CBP, said Fortunato, is the “mother of all the operations,” overseeing the Office of Field Operations—the blueuniformed men and women who staff the U.S. – Canadian border crossings such as the one at Pigeon River in Grand Portage. Thearea of responsibility for Field Operations is the port of entry only. He said only a select few people working at the border have the authority to make an arrest.
Fortunato and his 10 agents work for the Office of Border Patrol. Theywear green uniforms and they are the enforcement arm of the CBP and their mission is to protect the United States from terrorists, terroristic activity, and terroristic weapons, said Fortunato.
TheBorder Patrol still maintains the brick building just off Highway 61 near the new Gunflint Trail. That building is necessary because it has holding cells in the event that the Border Patrol makes an apprehension. The building is only a temporary holding area, however, intended to keep people there just while being processed. If an individual must be kept overnight, the Border Patrol has a contract with Cook County Law Enforcement to detain them at the Cook County jail. If a longer incarceration is necessary, the suspect is taken to a holding facility in Douglas County, Wisconsin.
Fortunato, who came to Minnesota from an assignment with a Border Patrol marine unit in McAllen, Texas, said he appreciates the slower pace of the northern border. Indeed most of his career has been spent in more urban areas. He grew up in a suburb of Denver, Colorado and joined the military right out of high school. He served in the Navy for 18 months while earning a degree. When he got out of the service, he joined the Denver Police Department. He heard that the Border Patrol was hiring and decided to give it a try. He was eventually assigned to McAllen, which is the South Padre Island area, which he described as a “more active border.”
Asked how realistic the graphic National Geographic
series Border Wars
is, Fortunato said he was surprised by how much National Geographic
has captured. “It is far more indepth than I thought it would be. And it is pretty realistic. If people watch it, they’ll understand what Border Patrol does—especially on the southern border with the cartels. It’s only about 2% of the people that are a problem, but people need to see what these guys are going through,” he said.
He said because of the slower pace of activity on the northern border, CBP is able to work more closely with the community. Fortunato said his agents are available to assist in emergencies, such as the Ham Lake wildfire. “We are here to
” help out. The Sheriff ’s Office has a large area to cover and has only 13 deputies. I know what that’s like—I’m responsible for 150 miles of border. So we are ready to assist in catastrophic events.”
Fortunato said he feels incredibly fortunate to be stationed here. “In my opinion, the Grand Marais Border Patrol Station is the hidden jewel of Border Patrol. A lot of people stay away because of the cold, but if you are an outdoorsman like most of us are, it’s a great place to be. Thework is not as high-paced as down south and it’s a great place for a family. There is a great educational system. It’s just a great place to be.”
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