NEW YORK: Two Indian nationals were among five persons arrested by US border authorities after they were apprehended for illegally crossing into the country from Canada by boat.
US Border Patrol agents from the Detroit Sector arrested the five foreign nationals during a smuggling attempt near Algonac in the US state of Michigan, a statement by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said on Wednesday.
It said Border Patrol dispatchers monitoring the remote video surveillance system late in night on February 20 observed a vessel on the St. Clair River cross the international border near a known smuggling route and immediately contacted agents in the area.
The agents responded to the area and immediately encountered five people in the vicinity of where the vessel was observed heading towards the shoreline. The five people admitted that they had crossed the border from Canada by boat.
Agents also observed two migrants completely drenched and shivering due to the frigid temperature. The individuals told the agents that they had fallen into the river while climbing out of the boat.
All five persons were then taken into custody and transported to a local station for processing.
“During the processing stage of the investigation, agents identified two subjects from India, and the remainder from Nigeria, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic,” it CBP said.
The persons are being processed for US immigration violations.
“The smuggler tried to take advantage of darkness and freezing temperatures to mask his criminal activity. Bad people will go to great lengths to avoid arrest, placing themselves and others in danger,” Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley said.