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Man charged with bringing aliens into U.S. via jet ski

Border Patrol Agents spotted three people on a broken jet ski on the Niagara River

GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. — Border Patrol Agents took a man into custody Wednesday morning at Beaver Island State Park for smuggling aliens into the United States.

Wanderson Dos Santos Freitas of Brazil was arrested after his jet ski got stuck on the Niagara River.

"Border Patrol officers noticed Mr. Dos Santos Freitas on a jet ski driving across the Niagara River with two passengers on the back of it. They got stuck in the middle of the river when the jet ski malfunctioned stranding them on a block of ice" said Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cantil.

Two of the people were able to walk across the ice to land. However, the Grand Island Fire Department had to rescue the third person. 

Grand Island Fire Dept

The U.S. Attorney's Office charged Dos Santos Freitas with bringing aliens to the United States for money.

"The aliens on the jet ski had paid the defendant six thousand dollars or agreed to pay him six thousand dollars to bring them into the U.S., "said Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlie Kruly.

"It's taken very seriously. Especially, considering the danger that the two passengers were put in. Neither of them had life preservers, the female on the back of the jet ski didn't know how to swim, were told that the water temperature was 32 or around 32 degrees Fahrenheit" said Cantil.

Dos Santos Freitas faces up to 10 years in prison and the other two are detained.

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