US EditionCanada-U.S. citizen in custody in deadly St. Lawrence River human smuggling case
- Timothy Oakes, a 34-year-old dual citizen of Canada and the United States residing near the St. Lawrence River border, was taken into custody on June 15 for his involvement in a fatal human trafficking scheme that resulted in the deaths of a family attempting to enter New York.
- Oakes and co-conspirators ran a smuggling ring that transported migrants by boat from Canada to New York despite dangerous weather, causing the death of a Romanian family and Oakes' brother in March 2023.
- Oakes housed the Romanian family for about 24 hours, then transported them and a boat to a public launch where his brother Casey attempted to ferry them, and all five died when the vessel capsized.
- Oakes was charged on April 9 with conspiracy and four counts each related to smuggling aliens for financial gain as well as smuggling that led to fatalities, with prosecutors stating he charged approximately $1,000 per individual transported.
- The Justice Department stated the operation aimed to make money regardless of human life risk, and officials continue prosecuting as part of the Operation Take Back America initiative to dismantle such smuggling rings.
39 Articles
39 Articles
Canadian Arrested For Role In ‘Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy’ That Killed A Family Of Four
A Canadian-American dual citizen was arrested this week for his role in a smuggling ring that left a family of four, including two children, dead. Timothy Oakes, 34, was part of a group that would smuggle migrants across the St. Lawrence River into New York, the Justice Department says. He routinely hosted migrants in his home on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation, which borders the river, before ferrying them across on his boat. In May 202…
Canada-US Citizen in Custody in Deadly St. Lawrence River Human Smuggling Case
A dual Canadian-American citizen that United States authorities allege was part of a deadly human smuggling operation that left migrants drowned in the St. Lawrence River will remain in custody following a detention hearing in the Northern District of New York District Court on Tuesday. The U.S. Justice Department said 34-year-old Timothy Oakes was arrested as he attempted to enter the United States on June 15. Oakes, who is from Akwesasne which…
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