BUFFALO, N.Y. — You may be well aware of the illegal crossings on the U.S. southern border. But now it's more of a concern on our local portion of the northern border with a potentially dangerous trend involving the Niagara River.
2 On Your Side learned more from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection about some recent incidents and arrests.
Just imagine using a small inflatable raft to cross the treacherous and now bone-chilling waters of the Niagara River. Actually, it's been happening. Law enforcement reported six such incidents since November, with the latest happening Wednesday night — surveillance camera pictures from the river's edge show individuals using a raft to illegally cross the river from Canada into the United States, near Lewiston in Niagara County.
Four people were arrested that time, with another individual caught by Lewiston Police while trying to pick them up.
U.S. Border Patrol Agent in Charge Brady Waikel of the Niagara Falls Station told 2 On Your Side: "We followed the people that came across on the raft. We tracked them on foot, following footprints through the woods out to the Niagara Scenic Parkway, where we were able to watch them load into that same van that the Lewiston Police officer had pulled over earlier."
The Border Patrol released other pictures of rafts from similar crossings. Nine people have been arrested for such crossings in the last 60 days after smugglers sent them across.
"The smugglers have no regard for human life," Waikel said. "They don't care what happens to people that they're smuggling. They treat people like commodities, so the people that are trying to get smuggled into the United States, they're not from here.
"They usually don't have any idea of the weather conditions. They don't know how to handle it, and they're not used to the cold like those of us who live up here are. So they don't know, they're told just get in this raft. You paid me money get in this raft, go over there, someone will pick you up or call a lift."
Waikel added: "Pretty much everyone we've caught crossing the river since November has been wet. It's the nature of the raft they're crossing in. They're small, inflatable, and most of them have oars or a small trolling motor on them. And in the course of crossing this river with the currents, they're getting soaking wet, so when we are finding them, they're all soaked, they're all cold."
Waikel says these human smugglers, also known as coyotes, are charging $5.000 to $10,000 to send someone across illegally. That depends on the threat level and their background.
Specialized technology such as tower cameras, trail cams, and motion detectors always scan for such illegal crossers. The Border Patrol shares intelligence about potential human smuggling operations with Canadian border security officials.
The Border Patrol says most are sent to the Batavia Detention Center for processing before being returned to their original homeland nations with a variety of locations
2 On Your Side asked, "Have you been able to determine the nationality of some of these individuals?"
Waikel responded: "The majority of the people crossing right now are from Mexico, but we've seen numerous people from Venezuela, from Ecuador, from Dominican Republic, and also from India."
Even with technology, their own boats, drones and a DHS helicopter, Waikel says the Border Patrol really depends on local residents, especially fishermen, to help with tips.
If you spot anything suspicious near the border call 911 for local police or call this Border Patrol hotline, 800-331-0353.