U.S. Customs and Border Protection boats have docked near the Chicago Harbor Lock on Thursday as part of a plan to stage marine vessels and vehicles at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility near Navy Pier, according to government communications reviewed by the Tribune.

Four CBP boats were spotted traveling east on the Chicago River before they were docked just south of Navy Pier midday Thursday. Federal officials on the boats appeared to be armed.

The Harbor Lock, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, separates Lake Michigan from the Chicago River and is the mechanism by which boats travel between the two in Chicago.

The Harbor Lock is one of the busiest locks in the country for both commercial and recreational boat traffic, according to a press release issued by the Army Co

See Full Page