Overview

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed it detained two people and conducted identity checks on 44 privately contracted workers at the Bear-Gulch fire on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.
• CBP said the two individuals arrested had entered the United States illegally and provided no additional details on charges or prosecutions.
• Fire personnel reported questioning and holds lasting about three hours, which they said delayed critical tasks such as tree-felling to support suppression.
• Crew members told reporters agents barred photos and video of the operation, with some describing confrontational treatment by federal officers.
• Sen. Patty Murray publicly criticized the action as unnecessary and inappropriate, as questions persist about the rationale and transparency of enforcement at an active disaster scene.