Border agents from the Marysville Station have foiled a human smuggling operation on the St. Clair River, marking a significant success in the battle against transnational criminal networks. On June 25, a vessel traveling from Canadian waters was spotted making landfall in the United States, carrying three individuals. Following a swift investigation, law enforcement officials arrested all four people on board, including the vessel captain and three passengers.
The passengers, arrested upon removal from US soil, face charges of unlawful entry. The boat captain was initially cleared to return to Canada but was apprehended by authorities at a subsequent checkpoint, marking the result of a collaborative effort between Canadian and Michigan law enforcement agencies.
The Detroit Border Patrol Sector’s Chief Patrol Agent John R. Morris hailed the successful operation, stating, “Our commitment to the community’s safety was on full display. By leveraging all available resources, we successfully disrupted a smuggling operation and put the offenders behind bars.” Key agencies involved in the operation include US Border Patrol agents, Air and Marine operators, and Canadian law enforcement.
Arrests and charges resulted for all parties involved. The vehicle driver has been charged with Alien Smuggling, and the boat captain is slated for court appearances in Sarnia, Ontario in September. However, Border Patrol agents opted not to release names, ages, or nationalities of the detained individuals.
Statistics from CBC illustrate an escalating trend of illegal border crossings, specifically between Quebec and New York. Border apprehensions surged in 2023 to 12,000, an almost quadrupling from 3,600 in 2022. According to Sgt. Daniel Dubois, commander of the Champlain border patrol unit, his team is encountering an “unprecedented surge in human smuggling activity.”
