BREAKING: Vermont State Trooper Daniel Bohnyak detained James O’Keefe on Saturday, September 21st, while he sought comment on a cease-and-desist letter issued to Border Patrol whistleblower Zachary Apotheker. In O’Keefe’s debut film Line in the Sand, Apotheker details claims of misconduct at the Vermont border, including the transport of underage girls to undisclosed locations and MS-13 members receiving free healthcare.
After visiting the homes of Border Patrol supervisors Michael Shick, Richard Fortunato, and Robert Garcia for comment, O’Keefe was issued a trespassing notice and briefly detained, despite standing on public property.
In a shocking incident caught on camera, Vermont State Police detained James O’Keefe while he investigated the case of Border Patrol agent Zachary Apotheker, who blew the whistle on serious misconduct at the U.S.-Canada border.
Zachary Apotheker, a Border Patrol agent stationed in Vermont’s Swanton sector, bravely came forward in Line in the Sand with disturbing allegations. He claims underage girls are being transported to unknown locations without proper biometrics, while MS-13 gang members are receiving free healthcare. These revelations prompted a cease-and-desist letter from Border Patrol supervisors in an effort to silence Apotheker.
Determined to get answers, O’Keefe visited the homes of three key supervisors—Michael Shick, Richard Fortunato, and Robert Garcia—who were involved in issuing the cease-and-desist letter.
At Michael Shick’s home, O’Keefe asked directly, “Are you Michael Shick?” Shick, clearly uneasy, quickly responded, “No, I’m not,” despite being shown clear photographic evidence of his identity. Shick then turned his back, got on an ATV, and sped away, avoiding further questioning.
The encounter at Richard Fortunato’s home escalated when Fortunato’s wife confronted O’Keefe, stating, “You need to leave!” As O’Keefe attempted to explain why he was there, she grew more aggressive, warning, “I’m going to call the police.”
Finally, when O’Keefe arrived at Robert Garcia’s home, the Vermont State Police were already there waiting. Despite being on a public street, O’Keefe was told, “You are not free to leave,” and was later issued a trespassing notice forbidding him from returning to the homes of the Border Patrol officials.
Trooper Daniel Bohnyak, who led the detainment, initially claimed O’Keefe was free to leave. However, the situation escalated when police alleged his vehicle was parked inappropriately, even though it was on a neighborhood side street. O’Keefe asked multiple times if he was being detained and finally received confirmation that he was. “We were simply asking for comment,” O’Keefe asserted, reaffirming the right of journalists to seek the truth.
Reflecting on the encounter, O’Keefe remarked, “In a world where 500,000 children are being moved in three years… the Vermont State Police are spending their days detaining journalists for asking questions.”
