LEWISTON, N.Y. (WIVB) — Residents along the Niagara River and Lake Ontario are calling on officials to take action after they say they’ve seen an increase sighting of suspicious vehicles, and trespassing in their backyards.
Since this past November, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Niagara Falls Station along with state and local law enforcement have arrested numerous individuals from over 20 incidents of illegal Niagara River crossings.
On Thursday, those agencies provided an update on what’s being done to solve the problem.
“We have always had rafts and people crossing the river. We’ve always had drugs crossing the river. Now, what has changed between now and then? Why are we having this discussion? It’s the frequency,” said Niagara Falls Border Patrol Agent-in-Charge Brady Waikel.
During an open the public meeting Thursday, Niagara Falls Border Patrol said the last illegal crossing they intercepted was Thursday morning. They say these crossings usually happen at night, typically involving small groups of adult men.
We’re told these groups use various boats and rafts, with many of the attempts taking place off the Youngstown and Lewiston shorelines.
“Most of the people that we’re catching do have a status in Canada. Smuggling is illegal in Canada, but being someone from Colombia or Mexico that came in on a visitor’s visa into Canada, getting on a raft in the lower Niagara River is not against the law in Canada,” continued Waikel.
CPB, say they have a multi-layered approach to securing the border which includes the use of helicopters, drones, thermal cameras, and mobile surveillance systems.
To help local law enforcement at the state level Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt is seeking changes to state measures like the Green Light Law, a law which prohibits CBP from accessing N.Y. Department of Motor Vehicles records and information.
He says this disrupts inspections at ports of entry or when tracking down smugglers picking up individuals on the U.S side of the border.
“We can at least make the changes that allow federal immigration authorities to see the DMV database. We all need to work together to stop the bad guys, to catch the bad guys, to prevent terrorist attacks, to keep our community and country safe,” said Ortt.
Residents in the area are encouraged to call 911 or Border Patrol at 1-800-331-0353 to report any suspicious activity.
