Manitoba RCMP and U.S. Border Patrol warn human smuggling cases have spiked

Human smuggling along Manitoba's southern border in and out of the United States is on the rise.

Manitoba RCMP and U.S. Border Patrol agents say cases of human smuggling have spiked this year, with nearly 250 people trying to cross illegally.

"It’s being done through somebody who thinks not of the people they’re smuggling, but they see people as dollar signs," said Scott Garrett, a chief patrol agent in the Grand Forks sector. "That’s the way these people come in."

On Thursday, during a news conference in Grand Forks, law enforcement officials from both sides of the border spoke about the startling spike.

“Some individuals who are illegally crossing the border between Manitoba and North Dakota and Minnesota are not aware of the extreme weather conditions or geography they face," said Sgt. Lance Goldau, with the Manitoba RCMP.

"This lack of understanding has led to serious injury and death.”

This comes more than a year after the death of the Patel family – a family of four from India who was found frozen to death near Emerson, Man. in January 2022. They had been trying to enter the United States, and investigators believe their deaths were linked to a human smuggling operation.

READ MORE: Year after death of Indian family at U.S. border, those left behind try to move on

A Florida man is facing human smuggling charges.

Officials say in 2022, there were 81 people apprehended while trying to cross the border. So far this year, that number has nearly tripled.

According to the U.S. Border Patrol, 237 people have been apprehended so far this year. That’s nearly a 250 per cent increase from 2022.

U.S. Border Patrol agents say smuggling fees run from $5,000 to $30,000.

“It is concerning. There’s no doubt about it," Garrett said. "So far, we have encountered, generally speaking, migrants who are coming here looking for a better way of life.”

The patrol agent said the rise stems from smugglers taking advantage of a less guarded entry into the country, compared to the southern United States.

However, officers say increased patrolling and high-tech equipment are helping catch more people.

“Enhancements in technology aid agents in rapidly identifying the location of individuals after entering illegally," Garrett said.

The agencies on both sides of the border are pleading to anyone considering crossing into Canada or the U.S. illegally this winter.

“Don’t do it. There are other ways to enter either country without putting your own life at risk," Goldau said. "Please take the safe route, and don’t make this trek your last.”