A dual U.S. citizen was taken into custody last month for purportedly trying to smuggle four Romanian families, including two young kids, into the United States.
Timothy Oakes, a 34-year-old residing on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in Canada, was arrested on June 15.
He faces charges related to an alleged conspiracy involving alien smuggling, which reportedly resulted in devastating consequences. He appeared in federal court on Tuesday and is currently in custody.
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His alleged accomplices, Dakota Montour, 31, and 43-year-old Kawisistha Celecia Sharrow, along with 45-year-old Janet Terrance, all from Akwesasne-Mohawk, have entered guilty pleas.
“Oakes and his associates gained from these human smuggling operations, driven by profit,” said a prosecutor. “Their greed was responsible for the deaths of parents and two small children, including one of the defendant’s brothers.”
Federal authorities claim that Oakes transported undocumented immigrants from Canada to upstate New York by crossing the St. Lawrence River using boats.
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Reports indicate that Oakes charged $1,000 for each person he smuggled. In March, he provided a Romanian family of four shelter for roughly 24 hours before taking them aboard his boat for their illegal crossing.
Tragically, while they were on his boat, it capsized, leading to the deaths of the family, which included two children under three years old, as well as his own brother.
“The deaths of the two young children and their parents are heartbreaking consequences of a failed smuggling operation,” remarked Robert Garcia, chief patrol agent for the Swanton sector of the U.S. Border Patrol. “These fatalities are a direct result of ruthless smugglers exploiting vulnerable individuals.”
Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow have admitted in a court agreement to their roles in transporting Romanian families, including mothers, fathers, and young children, from Canada to New York. Montour acknowledged being aware of dangerous weather conditions during the smuggling attempt, which included strong winds and poor visibility, according to the Justice Department.
