At least eight people died in an alleged attempt to cross the border into the United States in a swamp in Canada, according to police. “A total of eight bodies” have been recovered from the waters near the overturned boat of the Akwesasne Mohawk tribe, which has been missing since Thursday, a local police spokesman said.
The victims – six adults and two children – belong to an Indian family and a family of Canadian citizens of Romanian origin. Police suspect that the men wanted to enter the United States illegally.
Cross-border smuggling has increased recently
“It was not a good time to be on the water,” the police said today: the boat was too small and the weather stormy and rainy. According to police, some Canadian residents in the wider border area will offer to help them get to the United States for money. Attempts to cross the border in the region have increased since the beginning of the year.
Divers continue to search for bodies in Mohawk territory. The region spans across the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and the US state of New York.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He said yesterday that this is a worrying situation.
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