DETROIT (WWJ) – Three people are in custody after trying to sneak into the United States across the St. Clair River in an apparent human smuggling attempt.
Officials with Customs and Border Protection say three foreign nationals were caught trying to cross the river near Algonac early Tuesday morning.
Officials say around 3 a.m. Tuesday Border Patrol dispatch monitoring surveillance cameras spotted a vessel on the St. Clair River near Algonac cross the international border near “a historically known smuggling route.”
Agents from Marysville immediately responded to the area and found three people near the location where dispatch last saw the vessel headed towards the U.S.
When an agent interviewed them, they all admitted to having just crossed the border from Canada in a boat. They were all taken into custody and taken to the Border Patrol station for processing.
Officials say during processing they confirmed one of the three people detained was a 53-year-old man from the Dominican Republic, with two women from Mexico, ages 25 and 26. Their names were not released.
“Intercepting this was made possible by technology and the teamwork of our agents and support personal. I am proud of the vigilance and dedication to duty displayed by the men and women of Detroit Sector,” Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley said, per a press release.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about suspicious activity near the border to call the Detroit Sector Border Patrol BorderWatch telephone number toll-free at 800-537-3220.
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