Human trafficking ring linked to dead migrants in St. Lawrence: RCMP

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MONTREAL — A human smuggling ring recently busted by members of the RCMP has been linked to the deaths of eight migrants who drowned in the St. Lawrence while trying to cross illegally into the United States last year.

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Members of two families — four people from India and four people of Romanian descent — died in March 2023 while trying to cross the Akwesasne, a First Nations territory that straddles Quebec, Ontario and New York state. Their bodies were pulled from the water on March 30 and 31.

On June 6, police announced they had arrested four people, including the alleged ringleader, and issued warrants for four others. All were part of a “large-scale people-smuggling network that funneled illegal migrants” into the United States, the RCMP alleged.

“Two of the eight accused have charges linking them to the transportation of the Indian family that died,” said Cpl. Angelique Dignard, operational support for the RCMP detachment in Cornwall, Ont., said in an interview Friday.

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“The RCMP have laid charges against all the individuals we will be charging and therefore this group is no longer operating,” she said.

But the police did not say whether the network was responsible for the illegal introduction of the family of Romanians, who were allegedly on the same boat.

The four deceased Indians were members of the Chaudhari family from the western Indian state of Gujarat. They include Praveenbhai Chaudhari, 50, his wife Dakshaben, 45, their son Meet, 20, and their daughter Vidhi, 23.

The Romanian family was identified as Florin Iordache, 28 years old; his wife, Cristina (Monalisa) Zenaida Iordache, 28; their two-year-old daughter Evelin and one-year-old son Elyen. Both children were Canadian citizens.

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Akwesasne resident Casey Oakes, whose name has appeared in connection with the case since the early days, was last seen the night before the first victims were discovered driving a boat that was found next to their bodies. His body was found on the afternoon of July 3 near Ross Island, just over three months after the migrants were found.

Authorities say Akwesasne’s geography makes it a popular spot for human traffickers and contraband.

The RCMP laid the bulk of the charges against the alleged ringleader, Thesingarasan Rasiah, 51, of Montreal, who now faces a total of 36 charges.

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According to a briefing document provided by the RCMP, Rasiah was already in custody for “failure to comply with bail conditions in a non-trafficking investigation” when the RCMP issued a warrant for his arrest in June 2023.

“The ongoing investigation revealed that approximately $1.4 million was allegedly transited through accounts linked to Rasiah over a 1-year period,” the document said.

Another Montrealer, Joel Portillo, 38, was arrested on May 14 on 25 charges.

The counts for both men include conspiracy to organize, aid and abet people to come to Canada and the United States, conspiracy to transfer or deal with property or proceeds with intent to conceal them, and possession of property, proceeds or things obtained from – a crime.

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But four people wanted for their involvement in the group are still at large.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for forty-three-year-old Justin Rourke of Saint Regis, Que., but he is currently in custody in the United States on unrelated charges.

Authorities are still looking for alleged mastermind Shawna Etienne, 47, of Kanesatake, as well as alleged secondary carriers Cheyenne Lewis, 51, of Akwesasne, and Tionna David, 21 years, from Saint Regis.

Two more people, Mary June Benedict of Akwesasne, 48, and Cornwall resident Michael McCormick, 47, turned themselves in last May and are awaiting court appearances.

“While the alleged organizers mostly live in Canada, the smuggled migrants came mainly from India, Romania and Sri Lanka,” the document said, adding that the migrants were charged up to $6,000 each to cross border and up to $35,000 each for international. travel documents.

Dignard hopes the arrests will act as a deterrent and encourage the public to alert police to smuggling activities, but says it would be naive to think others won’t try to smuggle people across the border.

“I think it’s a crime that unfortunately will continue and the RCMP will continue to investigate,” she said.

The Canada Border Services Agency declined The Canadian Press’ request for an interview.

Neither the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service nor the U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded to requests for comment.

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