Image used for representational purpose only.
Two Indian nationals were among five people arrested by US border officials for illegally entering the country by boat from Canada.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement on Wednesday that US Border Patrol agents from the Detroit sector arrested five foreign nationals during an attempted smuggling operation near Algonac, Michigan.
It said that on the night of Feb. 20, Border Patrol dispatchers monitoring a remote video surveillance system spotted a boat on the St. Clair River crossing the international border near a known smuggling route and immediately contacted agents in the area. Contacted
Agents responded to the area and immediately encountered five people in the vicinity of where the vessel was seen heading toward shore. All five men admitted that they had crossed the border from Canada by boat.
Agents found two migrants completely soaked and shivering due to the cold temperatures. The men told agents they had fallen into the river while getting off the boat.
All five persons were subsequently detained and shifted to the local station for processing.
“During the enforcement phase of the investigation, agents identified two subjects from India, and the remainder from Nigeria, Mexico and the Dominican Republic,” CBP said.
These individuals are being prosecuted for US immigration violations.
“Smugglers try to take advantage of the darkness and freezing temperatures to hide their criminal activities. Bad guys will go to great lengths to avoid capture, putting themselves and others at risk,” Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley said.
