How safe is our Northern border?
DETROIT, MI (WOIO) - All eyes are on our southern border with Mexico right now. The White House is sending more resources to the southwest. The president he could send up to 15,000 troops to the border. Our message to the people in the caravan is simple. Turn around, you will not be allowed to come into the United States of America, Vice President Mike Pence said this week. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted an assessment in 2017 on Northern Border security. The report says illegal drugs are a big problem. It also cites potential terror threats from homegrown extremists in Canada that are not on the U.S. watch list. Border Patrol agents arrested a Canadian man in late August. Border Patrol vehicles with the Detroit Sector. (WOIO)  They say he helped smuggle five undocumented immigrants through a railroad tunnel between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Illegal northern border crossings are increasing. You wont find any walls or fences marking the line between the United States and Canada. And you cant do much to reinforce Lake Erie. The U.S.-Canadian border stretches 5,525 miles. Its the longest and busiest land boundary in the world. CBS News found the number of people caught illegally crossing our Northern border is up 142 percent this year. In 2017, Border Patrol agents captured 3,027 people illegally crossing our northern border. Border Patrol agents captured 303,916 people illegally crossing our southern border last year. Nearly half were from Mexico. Mexican citizens don't need a visa to enter Canada. They can hop on a plane to Toronto. Then Border Patrol agents say they can find a way into the U.S.  Cleveland19 wanted to know how secure Ohio is, so we reached out to Border Patrol. Tony Barker is the deputy chief patrol agent of Detroit Sector, which covers Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. So it's going to be approximately 863 border miles is what we're responsible for, Barker said. Border Patrol agents are on the lookout for everything from drug and gun smuggling to human trafficking and terrorism. They say Lake Erie is protected by a three tier security enforcement -- including Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and CBP Air and Marine Operations. It should be noted that the lakes themselves, as large as they are, are an amazing geographical inhibitor. And it allows us to take a look at the traffic that's moving on the lakes through such technology assets such as radar and camera systems that we utilize in order to be able to identify that threat, Barker said. Northern Border by the numbers  Detroit Sector Border Patrol agents arrested eight people between last October and June of this year. That number is down from previous years. Border Patrol arrested 12 people in 2017, 35 people in 2016 and 24 people in 2015 from the dates of Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. Detroit Sector apprehensions by Border Patrol, fiscal year 2015-2018. (WOIO)  We'll utilize relationships with our Canadian partners, to find out who's leaving Canada, who's coming into the United States, what routes of travel they may be taking, Barker said. Arrests for illegal entry are up this year across the entire Northern Border. From Oct. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017 Border Patrol apprehended 504 people. They do not have the total numbers in yet for this year, but from Oct. 1, 2017 to June 2018 there have been 583 people apprehended. Most illegal crossings happened in Washington State and Vermont. Would you say our border is safe? Sara Goldenberg asked Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Barker. Yes, absolutely. And the men and women of Detroit sector strive every day to make sure that we are working collectively with our partners in order to create a safe border environment, Barker said. BY CAR VS. BY BOAT  To get to Canada, most Ohioans go by car like us. Its 216 miles to Niagara Falls, Ontario from Cleveland and 169 miles to Windsor, Ontario. On your way back into the United States, you go through U.S. Customs. The CBP officers ask you a number of questions, including your citizenship, the nature of your trip and whether you are bringing any merchandise with you from out of the country. Officers may search you, your baggage or your vehicle. We took the ferry to Put-in-Bay, to see what private boaters have to do when they cross the border on Lake Erie. The Lake Erie Islands are about 25 miles away from Canada. Put-In-Bay, South Bass Island. (WOIO)  Boaters can report their arrival from Canada to U.S. Customs in three ways:  -They can self-report to meet an officer in-person  -They can call for a "telephonic inspection" if they have a NEXUS card or other documents  -They can use the free CBP ROAM app on their cell phone to request an inspection by a CBP officer  Cleveland19 learned U.S. Customs is phasing out the OARS video phones located at docks or marinas due to the use of the ROAM app. A sign is up in place of an OARS videophone that used to be installed on a building on Put-In-Bay. (WOIO)  We asked U.S. Customs and Border Protection if this is enough to keep our border safe. A spokesperson says the app is one of the fastest ways for a boater to report their arrival into the United States to an officer. They say many marinas in Lake Erie have WiFi capabilities and most boaters download the app and put all of their information in it before leaving their home port. They say many boaters who go back and forth between the U.S. and Canada have NEXUS cards, which allows them to report their arrival by phone up to four hours prior to coming into the country. According to CBP, boaters can use the app to apply to become Verified Travelers and receive expedited processing on future arrivals. Boaters who dont report their arrival back to the U.S. can land a civil fine of $5-$10,000. A Border Patrol agent on one of their boats in Detroit. (WOIO)  US COAST GUARD ROLE  The U.S. Coast Guard also patrols Lake Erie with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Coast Guard is a component of the Department of Homeland Security. It is charged with protecting the nation from the threat of terrorism alongside our federal partner agencies.  The Coast Guard tells Cleveland19 they conducted hundreds of hours of joint patrols with RCMP on Lake Erie last year. They deal with frequent boating under the influence of alcohol cases, drug possession and illegal immigration cases. WEB EXTRAS  You may be surprised by how many international visitors Cleveland is getting by cruise ship now. Thirty international boats are stopping in Cleveland next year. Watch this video of the Hamburg docking at the Port of Cleveland with mostly German passengers on board. Cleveland19 also spoke to some Canadians on our trip about why having an open border is so important for travel and business. Watch this video to hear what they have to say. Copyright 2018 WOIO. All rights reserved.