OPP officials allege: Police have arrested four people after a traffic stop revealed eight individuals concealed in the rear of the vehicle destined for the United States (US).
An ongoing joint forces operation led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), with assistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Security Investigations, and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS), revealed evidence for a traffic stop under the Excise Act.
On January 7, 2025, members from OPP BEST and the RCMP conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the City of Cornwall travelling in the direction of the CBSA port of entry. Officers located eight individuals concealed in the back of the vehicle and subsequently charged the driver and passenger of the vehicle under the Criminal Code (CC). Further investigation revealed another two suspect vehicles, which led to the arrest of an additional two individuals.
A 58-year-old Akwesasne man, a 54-year-old Akwesasne man, a 52-year-old Brossard, Quebec man and a 43-year-old Anjou, Quebec man have each been charged with conspiracy to violate US law, s. 465(3) CC.
The four accused were released from custody and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Cornwall on February 25, 2025.
The investigation is currently ongoing.
The eight individuals found concealed within the vehicle were arrested and charges may be laid if applicable.
If you have any information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060.
“The OPP has a significant role in assisting the RCMP and CBSA in maintaining border security,È stated OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, in a media release.
ÈOPP members are assigned to the BEST at international boundary crossings in Ontario. We will continue to identify, investigate, dismantle and prosecute individuals who attempt to exploit our nation’s borders. In addition to our federal partners, the OPP works in conjunction with our partners in the United States, including the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. Maintaining the integrity of our borders is of utmost importance and we will continue to collaborate with our partners provincially, nationally and internationally.”
Jag Johnston, Regional Director General, CBSA Northern Ontario Region, added: “CBSA officers and investigators remain vigilant in detecting and intercepting criminal activity at the border, including human smuggling. With our law enforcement partners, including OPP, AMPS and RCMP, we prevent these dangerous acts and maintain the integrity of our immigration system. We will continue to secure Canada’s shared border with the United States.”
The BEST is led by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.
This is a multi-agency, cross-border enforcement team which includes members from the CBSA, the OPP, as well as various national and international partners.
The primary responsibility of the BEST program is to identify, investigate, dismantle and prosecute persons and groups involved in organized crime activity with a nexus to the international border.
