A look at recent migrant deaths and close calls along the Canada-U.S. border
The deaths this week of eight people of Indian and Romanian descent in the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne have underscored the dangers related to illegal immigration.
Over the past year, a number of deaths and close calls have occurred along the nearly 9,000-kilometre Canada-United States border. Here is a look:
March 31, 2023
Akwesasne Mohawk Police say eight people, including two children under the age of three, whose bodies were pulled from the St. Lawrence River, were trying to enter the United States illegally from Canada.
The victims were from two families, one of Romanian descent and the other composed of Indian citizens. The children are believed to have been part of the Romanian family, and police found Canadian passports belonging to them.
Feb. 19, 2023
Jose Leos Cervantes, 45, originally from Aguascalientes, Mexico, collapsed and died shortly after crossing the border into the United States from Quebec on foot in late February. Vermont State Police said the migrant was taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
In court documents, Border Patrol Agent Brian Wilda said Leos Cervantes was clutching a tree and appeared to be in distress at the time he was found.
Jan. 28, 2023
A man seeking to enter the United States was rescued by the RCMP near the border in Quebec's Eastern Townships, Radio-Canada reported. The man was found conscious but in poor health about a kilometre away from the border. He was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and frostbite.
Jan. 4, 2023
A Haitian man was found frozen to death in a wooded area near St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., where police said he was trying to cross into the United States.
Provincial police said Fritznel Richard, 44, likely died of hypothermia. Friends of the asylum seeker later said that he had been unable to get a work permit in Canada and believed he would be able to get legal status in the U.S., as well as reunite with his wife in Florida.
Jan. 19, 2022
An Indian family of four died trying to reach the United States from Canada. The Patel family was found dead near a border crossing in Manitoba. The RCMP said they were trying to get into the U.S. during severe winter weather but died from exposure before reaching their destination.
Authorities said they believe a human smuggling operation was involved in the deaths of 39-year-old Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, his 37-year-old wife Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel and their two children, 11-year-old Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, who was three.
Police in India have charged three people for their alleged roles in the deaths of the family with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempting culpable homicide, human trafficking and criminal conspiracy. A Florida man was also arrested and charged in Minnesota for his alleged role in smuggling the family.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.