Border Patrol Stops Cross-Border Smuggling Event on St. Clair River

DETROIT - On June 25, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Marysville Border Patrol Station arrested four individuals after observing a vessel which originated in Canadian waters on the St. Clair River make landfall on to U.S. shoreline. The vessel dropped off three passengers who then got into a waiting vehicle. Collaborative efforts between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement partners resulted in the arrest of the driver of the vessel after he returned to Canada.

A U.S. Border Patrol Agent keeps a watchful eye on the Saint Clair river near the Blue Water Bridge which connects Port Huron, Michigan with Poin Edward, Ontario, Canada

"Our commitment to our community's safety was on full display here. Using all our assets we were able to end a smuggling operation," said Chief Patrol Agent John R. Morris of the Detroit Border Patrol Sector. "These arrests display the great teamwork between our Border Patrol agents, Air and Marine operators, and our Canadian law enforcement partners."

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has charged the three passengers with 8 USC 1326- 8 USC 1326, Re-entry After Removal and the driver of the vehicle with 8 USC 1324- Alien Smuggling. The pilot of the vessel will be before the Courts in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada on September 10th, 2024.

Anyone with information on suspicious activity is asked to call the Detroit Sector Border Patrol Border Watch telephone number toll-free at 1-800-537-3220.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.