Canadian authorities found six dead bodies along the border with New York, according to a statement posted Thursday to Facebook.
The Akwesasne Mohawk Police said the identities of the bodies are unknown and the causes of death have yet to be determined, according to the Facebook post. The area has seen an uptick in illegal immigration, with U.S. Border Patrol recently recording an 846% in apprehensions in the Swanton sector, which covers parts of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Border Authorities Warn Of Greater Surge In Chinese Illegally Crossing Into US, Reveal Smuggling Routes)
Lee-Ann O’Brien, the deputy chief of police for the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, said Friday during a news conference that the deceased were believed to be two families, one consisting of Indian nationals and one of individuals of Romanian descent. There were five adults and one child, who was a Canadian citizen, under the age of 3 years old.
An infant belonging to the Romanian family is still missing, O’Brien said.
“All are believed to have been attempting illegal entry into the U.S. from Canada,” O’Brien said.
Akwesasne has seen freezing temperatures in recent days, according to AccuWeather.
Border Patrol has warned migrants against crossing into the U.S. illegally due to deadly conditions, highlighting the potentially lethal dangers of crossing. The Patels, a family of four migrants from India, froze to death in January 2022 after they were smuggled to the U.S. border, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said at the time.
“As we progress deeper into winter and continue to address the ongoing pace of illicit cross-border traffic, the level of concern for the lives and welfare of our Border Patrol Agents and those we are encountering – particularly vulnerable populations – continues to climb,” Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia said in a February statement. “It cannot be stressed enough: not only is it unlawful to circumvent legal means of entry into the United States, but it is extremely dangerous, particularly in adverse weather conditions, which our Swanton Sector has in incredible abundance.”
In an effort to address the situation at the northern border, President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brokered a new deal recently to expel certain migrants who cross illegally.
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