Twelve migrants from Great Britain and Ireland were taken into custody late last month after Border Patrol agents traced the drivers of two vehicles that they say illegally entered the U.S. near Roseau, Minn.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced over the weekend that agents intercepted the smuggling attempt over the span of two days in late September. Local agencies in northern Minnesota assisted, it said.

"The communication and collaboration between two of our stations was the reason we were able to catch the migrants," Chief Patrol Agent Anthony S. Good said in a Friday news release.

An agent assigned to the Warroad Station learned of two vehicles that had made unlawful entry into the United States near Roseau on Sept. 25, according to the release. The agent drove south on Hwy. 89 toward Grygla where they found two vehicles matching the description at a gas station.

One of the vehicles left as the agent approached, but the agent made contact with the other driver, which led to the arrest of four migrants. One was from Great Britain and three were citizens of Ireland.

The next day, a border patrol agent in International Falls saw the other vehicle at a restaurant in Bemidji after the agency broadcast news of the suspect's vehicle. The car was unoccupied, so the agent went to a nearby hotel and spoke with an employee at the front desk who said a couple had recently checked in but left shortly before the agent arrived.

The agent later located the couple and eight migrants with the assistance of the Beltrami County Sheriff's Department. Seven migrants were citizens of Great Britain and one was from Ireland. They were all taken into custody.

The sheriff's department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.