American actor Randy Quaid and his wife have been arrested trying to cross into the United States from Canada, police said Saturday, the latest twist in a bizarre long-running saga.

The actor -- who starred in "Brokeback Mountain" and "Independence Day" -- and his wife Evi claimed asylum in Canada in 2010 saying they were in fear of their lives to escape a group they dubbed the "Hollywood Star Whackers."

They claimed it was a shadowy outfit of villains bent on killing American celebrities.

Border officials say the couple are fugitives from justice in the United States over alleged illegal squatting in a US home that they used to own.

The duo, said to have been living in Montreal since 2013, were stopped on Friday evening attempting to cross into Vermont, Vermont State Police said.

They were detained and bail was set by a court judge at $500,000 each, before they were transferred to correctional centers.