The U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Massena Border Patrol Station in collaboration with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, and the Hogansburg-Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department (HAVFD) busted the smuggling by six Indians who were apprehended on Thursday morning while entering the US from Canada. The six Indian nationals are said to be aged between 19 – 21-years-old and have been charged with Improper Entry by Alien in violation of US law. The six are said to be the Indian citizens while the seventh person who fled the site is a US citizen, who, too, has been charged with Alien Smuggling which accounts for 10 years in prison.
Last week, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service received a tip about a vessel containing multiple individuals sailing from Canada, Ontario, towards the US. It immediately informed the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, and upon receiving the information, the department swiftly ran into action and busted the smuggling attempt. While investigating, the department found the vessel sinking in the Saint Regis River in Akwesasne. The Border patrol agents received an SOS and while responding to the call, they along with HAFVD arrived at the scene and found the vessel nearly under water.
“I emphasise that human smuggling is illegal and poses a significant danger to the Akwesasne community. We don’t know the intentions or vaccination status of smuggled individuals, but more importantly, the time and resources spent in a rescue effort unnecessarily risk the lives of our first responders and our already strained emergency response services,” said Matthew Rourke, a Chief of Police.
