Customs and Border Protection agents have apprehended an American man trying to smuggle in four Brazilian migrants across the St. Clair River dividing the U.S. from Canada via jet ski.
CBP Air and Marine Operations officers initially observed a jet ski on Saturday carrying three people leaving Canadian waters and crossing the border before landing near Port Huron, Michigan.
Two individuals began walking down a nearby road as the jet ski and its pilot returned to Canadian waters for what turned out to be a second trip.
Meanwhile, the two individuals entered a car driven by a U.S. citizen. The vehicle was then apprehended at the border station in Marysville, Michigan. The two individuals were identified as Brazilian men, ages 34 and 35.
Shortly thereafter, marine units of the Marysville border station spotted a jet ski returning. They corroborated with Air and Marine Operations that it was the same jet ski from earlier in the day, running the same route as before.
The second trip ended when both individuals aboard disembarked and began to walk inland, where they were apprehended by Border Patrol agents. These two individuals were also Brazilians, a 44-year old woman and a 47-year old man.
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CBP confirmed during processing that none of the four Brazilians were legally allowed to be in America.
“I could not be prouder of the men and women of Detroit Sector. These criminals made the brazen attempt on a busy weekend without regard, or fear of our law-abiding community,” Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley said in a CBP news release.
The CBP also noted that two other individuals had been arrested with the help and coordination of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. That investigation is ongoing.
The driver who picked up the first two men has, as an American citizen, been charged with illegal transportation in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The four jet ski riders have been charged with illegal entry.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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