Another suspected case of human smuggling has been thwarted on the St Clair River.
According to US Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations agents were flying near the Blue Water Bridge on Saturday and spotted a jet ski with three people on board leaving from Sarnia and heading across the international border.
The agency says two of the people got off near Port Huron and began walking down the road, while the third started driving the jet ski back over to the Canadian side.
Authorities say the two people were picked up by a vehicle, which was then stopped by border patrol agents.
Two Brazilian men in their mid-30s admitted to illegally crossing into the states. The driver, an American citizen, and the two passengers were taken into custody.
Meantime, the scene repeated a short time later, with another two people brought over the border by jet ski. In that case, a 47-year-old man and 44-year-old woman were arrested.
“I could not be prouder of the men and women of Detroit Sector,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley. “These criminals made their brazen attempt on a busy weekend without regard, or fear of our law-abiding community. While our strong U.S. and Canadian law enforcement partnerships facilitated a quick resolution, it cannot overshadow the role the community can play in our success. We continue to encourage the community to provide tips on suspicious activity.”
The driver of the pickup vehicle has been charged by complaint with a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) (unlawful transportation) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The four Brazilian subjects have also been referred for prosecution of 8 USC 1325 – Illegal Entry into the U.S.