Canada - Eight bodies found in a marsh, near US border, Tsi Snaihne, Akwesasne, Quebec, 30 March 2023 *POIs sought*

[dotr]

Missing Akwesasne man connected to migrants found dead in St. Lawrence River: police

MONTREAL — Authorities investigating the disappearance of an Akwesasne, Que., man whose boat was found near the bodies of eight migrants pulled from the St. Lawrence River last week confirmed Tuesday he is connected to the case.

www.nsnews.com

''MONTREAL — Authorities investigating the disappearance of an Akwesasne, Que., man whose boat was found near the bodies of eight migrants pulled from the St. Lawrence River last week confirmed Tuesday he is connected to the case.

In a statement, Akwesasne Mohawk police said Casey Oakes, 30, is linked to the tragic discovery, but they didn't provide further details.

"Akwesasne Mohawk police investigators now believe Casey Oakes was connected to the eight deceased victims recovered from the water on (Thursday and Friday)," the police said in a brief statement. "The investigation continues to evolve."

''In February, police in Akwesasne reported an increase in human smuggling into the Mohawk territory. Authorities have said the area's geography makes it a popular spot for human smugglers, with police making 48 separate interceptions involving 80 people trying to enter the United States illegally since January.

Most of them have been of Indian or Romanian descent.''

 

[dotr]

Police say missing man tied to migrants found dead in St. Lawrence River

Authorities investigating the disappearance of an Akwesasne man whose boat was found near the bodies of eight migrants pulled from the St. Lawrence River last week are confirming he is connected to the case

torontosun.com

Romanian migrants who died in Akwesasne had tried to claim asylum in Canada twice

A Romanian man who perished in the St. Lawrence River with his young family last week twice came to Canada for asylum and arrested by American authorities when trying to sneak into the U.S.

www.thestar.com

 

[otto]

Romanian migrants who died in Akwesasne had tried to claim asylum in Canada twice

A Romanian man who perished in the St. Lawrence River with his young family last week twice came to Canada for asylum and arrested by American authorities when trying to sneak into the U.S.

www.thestar.com

Some news articles imply that Canada or the USA has some responsibility for the deaths of people who broke the law rather than make a legal application to emigrate to Canada or the USA.

The Indian family came to Canada on a tourist visa, and the Romanian family tried and failed to make a legitimate refugee claim. Meanwhile, they secured Canadian citizenship for their two children. The fault for the deaths lies entirely with those who took the risk associated with criminal activities.

The Akwesasne reserve should prevent, rather than facilitate, illegal transportation of people for economic reasons.

 

[otto]

Here's a new article about Casey Oakes, the "warrior," and his drug smuggling history. He also has a history of drug abuse. For whatever reason, Casey seems to prefer illegal smuggling of drugs and people over a life where he contributes something to society.

I think he's hiding. Although some of his clothing was found near the boat, that could be extra clothing he left with the boat. It could also be clothing he left behind to give the impression that he drowned too.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/akwesasne-search-river-casey-oakes-1.6799287

 

[Cedars]

Although some of his clothing was found near the boat, that could be extra clothing he left with the boat. It could also be clothing he left behind to give the impression that he drowned too.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/akwesasne-search-river-casey-oakes-1.6799287

I expect there were suitcases in the boat, including one of Oakes', who was likely intending to stay at least overnight on the NY side (and possibly smuggle things/people back another night).

I think the big question about what happened is, did Oakes/someone else prioritize their own escape vs calling for help which could have potentially saved lives, for example if the boat was slowly sinking from being overloaded.

Canadians typically know how to swim, people from other countries may not.

JMO

 

[otto]

I expect there were suitcases in the boat, including one of Oakes', who was likely intending to stay at least overnight on the NY side (and possibly smuggle things/people back another night).

I think the big question about what happened is, did Oakes/someone else prioritize their own escape vs calling for help which could have potentially saved lives, for example if the boat was slowly sinking from being overloaded.

Canadians typically know how to swim, people from other countries may not.

JMO

His convictions and drug treatments have been in the USA. He has a 2 month old child. I haven't seen any specific information about where he lived (which side of the border), but he wouldn't need much to make the short trip back and forth across the river.

 

[branmuffin]

According to the article:

Oakes was last seen Wednesday night operating a boat that was found next to the migrants’ bodies, but police have made no direct connections between Oakes and the deaths.

Unless we hear otherwise, I'm going to assume what I thought until these comments was the situation - that they were looking for Oakes and found these other victims by accident in the process.

MOO

I think it's possible some members of the reserve are playing coy with LE knowing full well that CO has been involved in human trafficking.

 

[branmuffin]

I expect there were suitcases in the boat, including one of Oakes', who was likely intending to stay at least overnight on the NY side (and possibly smuggle things/people back another night).

I think the big question about what happened is, did Oakes/someone else prioritize their own escape vs calling for help which could have potentially saved lives, for example if the boat was slowly sinking from being overloaded.

Canadians typically know how to swim, people from other countries may not.

JMO

There's no way anyone would have survived getting dumped into the St. Lawrence in March. Even an Olympic swimmer would die of hypothermia in less than 10 minutes. And if you didn't die of hypothermia the weight of sodden winter clothing and boots would have been like wearing a cement block around your waist.

 

[otto]

I think it's possible some members of the reserve are playing coy with LE knowing full well that CO has been involved in human trafficking.

More recent articles name Casey Oakes as the smuggler, and family have confirmed that Casey Oakes viewed human smuggling as a economic choice. The implication is that governments need to support the Akwesasne nation and only then will criminal activities of smuggling people and drugs stop.

"Grand chief Benedict of Akwesasne's elected council says desperation is driving some people to risk their lives crossing the Canada-U.S. border illegally, and economic pressure is driving some community members to help them.
...

Police said in a news release Tuesday they believe Oakes was connected to the deaths. They had previously declined to make that connection.
...

Benedict said some community members who are struggling financially can be tempted into helping organized criminals smuggle people across the border.

"One would argue that smuggling, whether that's people or goods, takes place because people need money," he told CBC's As It Happens on Monday. "The government needs to continue to support communities like Akwesasne with economic development."​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/akwesasne-deaths-border-immigration-canada-usa-1.6800616

Casey Oakes' mother works as a social worker in Ontario and does not appear to need to rely on government handouts or illegal activities for economic survival

"... Oakes's mother worked as a social worker in Cornwall, Ont., and "helped a lot of people."​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/akwesasne-search-river-casey-oakes-1.6799287

 

[otto]

I take issue with Chief Benedict stating that people who live on the Akwesasne indian reserve are merely helping organized criminals because it is their only economic option.

Casey has a history of smuggling drugs and people across the border for personal profit. He is not the victim of organized criminals, he is one of the organized criminals.

 

[Cedars]

There's no way anyone would have survived getting dumped into the St. Lawrence in March. Even an Olympic swimmer would die of hypothermia in less than 10 minutes. And if you didn't die of hypothermia the weight of sodden winter clothing and boots would have been like wearing a cement block around your waist.

Yes, but IMO, they weren't out in open water. They were found in the marsh which surrounds Cornwall, and contains islets. In the dark, a local might know about the islets, but not the foreigners.

"Police search-and-rescue teams in helicopters and boats continued to search a chain of marshy wooded islands for Casey Oakes"

‘We question why? Why is this happening?’: Eight migrants perish in the bitter waters of the St. Lawrence River

Police found the eight bodies while searching for Casey Oakes, 30, an Akwesasne man reported missing Thursday.

www.thestar.com

I also note a rescue that happened last year, in daylight. Police were actually monitoring the smuggling effort, so were able to swoop in and rescue the migrants on the sinking boat: meanwhile the smuggler had swum to shore.

This article has photos that show, in the 2022 incident, the boat holding the migrants had sunk below the water line. I think this could have been a similar event, from an overloaded, crappy boat.

JMO

6 rescued as boat sinks during alleged human smuggling incident

An American is accused of trying to smuggle six people in a sinking boat into the United States.

www.wwnytv.com

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

I think the big question about what happened is, did Oakes/someone else prioritize their own escape vs calling for help which could have potentially saved lives, for example if the boat was slowly sinking from being overloaded.

Canadians typically know how to swim, people from other countries may not.

MOO If Oakes somehow survived he should have called authorities asap when on land, even if he realized there was no way anyone survived. Oakes was the only person who didn't have a spouse/children in the water, so he was "free" to rescue himself. I've been on a capsized small sailboat. In my opinion, there is no slow sinking of a small overloaded boat in rough water with large swells. The marsh may be mentioned in some articles but it is quite clear that they were in the river, in the water. We don't know if the current may have carried the boat and victims to the marsh boarder.
"The bodies of eight people, including two young children, were discovered last week along the marshy banks of the St Lawrence River near the Mohawk community of Akwesasne, which spans Quebec, Ontario and New York state."

Manhunt for people-smuggling suspect after eight drown at US-Canada border

The Akwesasne Mohawk police service continue a search for resident Casey Oakes as new details of victims emerge

www.theguardian.com

This article explains how deadly cold water shock is. Swimming or moving to rescue one's self is impossible when cold water shock occurs. As someone else mentioned, add the weight of water-filled clothing and shoes.

"When the body is immersed in cold water, there’s a large gasp followed by an increase in heart rate and faster breathing, which in itself can lead to drowning within the first three minutes of immersion, according to the U.S. Coast Guard."

Petition Calls for Cold Water Shock Warnings After Teen’s Drowning in the Chehalis River - The Daily Chronicle

Following the death of Zach Hines-Rager, who jumped from a railroad trestle bridge into the Chehalis River last week and reportedly drowned after struggling from cold water shock, people are urging …

www.chronline.com

 

[otto]

Another article about people smuggling. Casey Oakes is a 30 year old man, not some "young" person who was exploited. He was paid $2-3000 per person to illegally take them across the river. He has been arrested in the past for transporting drugs (2017) and still chose to be part of a criminal organization transporting people illegally to the USA.

The article mentions an man from India who was in Canada illegally and who was paid by people in India to illegally transport people from Canada to the USA.

Everyone has the choice to participate in criminal organizations. It is not a matter of the government giving everyone a little extra money so they make better choices.

"Akwesasne is known for being a transit point for the trafficking of humans and contraband because of its location, and in February, police there reported an increase in human smuggling through the territory.

Last week, Mohawk leaders lamented how their community is often exploited by human trafficking networks after the bodies of eight migrants, including two children, were pulled from the St. Lawrence River. Akwesasne Mohawk police Chief Shawn Dulude told reporters that criminal networks often exploit young people in the community who are looking to make money.​

Indian man extradited from Canada to U.S., charged with human smuggling in Akwesasne

MONTREAL — Federal prosecutors in the United States say an Indian man living in Canada was paid thousands of dollars to smuggle other Indian nationals into the U.S. through the Akwesasne Mohawk reserve.

www.moosejawtoday.com

 

[branmuffin]

Yes, but IMO, they weren't out in open water. They were found in the marsh which surrounds Cornwall, and contains islets. In the dark, a local might know about the islets, but not the foreigners.

"Police search-and-rescue teams in helicopters and boats continued to search a chain of marshy wooded islands for Casey Oakes"

‘We question why? Why is this happening?’: Eight migrants perish in the bitter waters of the St. Lawrence River

Police found the eight bodies while searching for Casey Oakes, 30, an Akwesasne man reported missing Thursday.

www.thestar.com

I also note a rescue that happened last year, in daylight. Police were actually monitoring the smuggling effort, so were able to swoop in and rescue the migrants on the sinking boat: meanwhile the smuggler had swum to shore.

This article has photos that show, in the 2022 incident, the boat holding the migrants had sunk below the water line. I think this could have been a similar event, from an overloaded, crappy boat.

JMO

6 rescued as boat sinks during alleged human smuggling incident

An American is accused of trying to smuggle six people in a sinking boat into the United States.

www.wwnytv.com

The migrants crossed the river during very poor weather with winds speeds up to 34 km/h. If you look at the wind warnings for vessels, you'll see that wind speeds between 37 to 41 km/h are considered dangerous for small vessels. Considering the wind speed during poor weather the night CO and the deceased migrants went missing was 32km/h I would consider a shallow boat overloaded with 9 people and luggage would classify as extremely dangerous. Bodies and boats could drift into the marsh under those conditions.

Wind Warnings

www.boat-ed.com

Past Weather in Akwesasne Indian Reserve 15, Quebec, Canada — Yesterday or Further Back

Weather reports from the last weeks in Akwesasne Indian Reserve 15 with highs and lows

www.timeanddate.com

 

[otto]

Another article about the Romanian family. A spokesperson for them describes that they are Roma people who felt discriminated against in Romania. That claim did not qualify them for refugee status in Canada. I doubt it would qualify them as refugees in any country.

They should have applied to legally emigrate to Canada, although that too would very likely have been denied since they have no skills. The father was curbing cars - buying cars cheap and reselling them. That's one way that cars that have been written off in an accident end up back on the street.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/iordache-family-dream-tragic-end-1.6802638

 

[Cedars]

Another article about the Romanian family. A spokesperson for them describes that they are Roma people who felt discriminated against in Romania. That claim did not qualify them for refugee status in Canada. I doubt it would qualify them as refugees in any country.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/iordache-family-dream-tragic-end-1.6802638

I agree, Romania is a member of the EU, it's not a source of native-born refugees. On the contrary it receives a large number of asylum-seekers from the middle-east, and also has so far accepted over 100,00 Ukranian refugees.

Over EUR 0.5 bln spent for Ukrainian refugees in Romania

Some EUR 565 mln was spent in Romania from private and public funds, including EUR 106 mln public funds and EUR 200 mln from UN agencies, to help the 3.24 mln Ukrainian refugees who crossed the country and the 104,000 who decided to stay, according to a report published by the Romanian...

www.romania-insider.com

 

[branmuffin]

Another article about the Romanian family. A spokesperson for them describes that they are Roma people who felt discriminated against in Romania. That claim did not qualify them for refugee status in Canada. I doubt it would qualify them as refugees in any country.

They should have applied to legally emigrate to Canada, although that too would very likely have been denied since they have no skills. The father was curbing cars - buying cars cheap and reselling them. That's one way that cars that have been written off in an accident end up back on the street.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/iordache-family-dream-tragic-end-1.6802638

It appears that many Roma have successfully retained refugee status in Canada based on the following link, albeit it was five years ago. Perhaps his personal circumstances had more to do with his denial rather than his ethnicity.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/roma-refugee-claims-1.4520851

 

[musicaljoke]

I expect there were suitcases in the boat, including one of Oakes', who was likely intending to stay at least overnight on the NY side (and possibly smuggle things/people back another night).

I think the big question about what happened is, did Oakes/someone else prioritize their own escape vs calling for help which could have potentially saved lives, for example if the boat was slowly sinking from being overloaded.

Canadians typically know how to swim, people from other countries may not.

JMO

No one can swim in the St Lawrence in March. The water temperature is just one degree above freezing. A person would be unconscious in 15 minutes. So where is Oakes? Had he been in the boat, or did he leave them to find their way across the river on their own?

 

[dotr]

Search suspended for man linked to dead migrants, police say efforts exhausted

MONTREAL - Akwesasne Mohawk police say are suspending the organized search of local waterways for a man linked to the eight migrants whose bodies were pulled from the St. Lawrence River last week.

www.thestar.com

''MONTREAL - Akwesasne Mohawk police say are suspending the organized search of local waterways for a man linked to the eight migrants whose bodies were pulled from the St. Lawrence River last week.

Police say they believe they have exhausted search efforts on the water for 30-year-old Casey Oakes and are set to resume normal patrol operations, unless they receive “actionable intelligence”.

Lengthy article. by Jorge Barrera, Rachel Houlihan, Dexter McMillan

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/smuggling-akwesasne-simranjit-singh-1.6803168

rbbm

Three Indian nationals stayed briefly at the Great View Motel, seen here on Wednesday, after they were smuggled into the U.S. in March 2020, allegedly under Singh's direction. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

''Simranjit Singh of Brampton, Ont., has pleaded not guilty to nine counts related to human smuggling in the U.S. Federal Court for the Northern District of New York. (Ontario Superior Court of Justice)
An Ontario man who once allegedly bragged he'd moved over 1,000 people across the Canada-U.S. border, is now facing a nine-count indictment alleging he was the "primary organizer" of a human smuggling network using Akwesasne Mohawk territory.
Simranjit "Shally" Singh of Brampton, Ont., pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in the U.S. Federal Court for the Northern District of New York to charges related to human smuggling. He was extradited to the U.S. on Thursday.
The indictment is based on evidence gathered through surveillance, Facebook messages and human sources related to four failed smuggling attempts across the St. Lawrence River between March 2020 and April 2022, according to court records.
Singh allegedly acted as a broker, charging $5,000 to $35,000 per person to smuggle mainly Indian nationals into the U.S., according to court records.
He then paid people in the community between $2,000 to $3,000 per person to take them across the river through Akwesasne territory.
Singh's indictment is not connected to the deaths of eight suspected migrants — including four Indian citizens — on the St. Lawrence last week.
However, there are similarities. ''

''Facing deportation​

Singh, who is currently facing deportation in Canada, arrived in Montreal from India in 2010 with his then-wife and one child and filed refugee claims. His mother then arrived with his other child and also filed refugee claims. All five were ultimately rejected, according to court records.

Canadian authorities could not return them to India because the Indian consulate refused to provide travel documents. Singh is now attempting to stay through his second wife, who sponsored him. That application was pending at the time of his arrest last summer.''

 

[otto]

It appears that many Roma have successfully retained refugee status in Canada based on the following link, albeit it was five years ago. Perhaps his personal circumstances had more to do with his denial rather than his ethnicity.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/roma-refugee-claims-1.4520851

I didn't know that! The difference could also be that the refugees mentioned in the article are from Hungary, and the family that drowned is from Romania.

Circumstances may be different in different countries. A quick search shows that Roma people represent 7% of the Hungarian population, while they represent 33% of the Romanian population.