U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two men and one woman on March 15 after they illegally entered the United States from Canada by crossing the Niagara River in a small rubber raft near Grand Island, New York, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The incident involved an infant and resulted in multiple criminal charges, including human smuggling and child endangerment, as authorities noted the risks associated with illegal crossings through hazardous terrain such as freezing waterways along the northern border.
Border officials described the crossing as particularly dangerous due to weather conditions and the presence of a young child, noting that the group used a small rubber raft to navigate the freezing waters of the Niagara River, according to Border Report.
Agents assigned to the Buffalo Station responded to reports of an illegal entry and located a rubber raft along the Upper Niagara River. Authorities then discovered an Irish man, a woman from the United Kingdom, and their infant concealed behind a nearby tree. Officials said all four individuals had crossed the river from Canada before being taken into custody.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the operator of the raft was a Mexican national who has no prior criminal record. He has been charged with human smuggling, unlawful entry into the United States, and child endangerment in connection with transporting the group across the river.
Federal authorities determined that the Irish man had previously been deported from the United States in June 2025. He is now charged with illegal re-entry and was also found to be wanted in Rhode Island on felony assault charges. Officials said he will be extradited to Rhode Island following the resolution of his federal immigration case.
The woman and her infant were processed by authorities and returned to Canada, according to federal officials.
“Crossing the border illegally is dangerous under any circumstances, but taking an infant across the freezing Niagara River in a small raft is especially reckless,” Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato said. “This kind of risk endangers not just the adults, but the life of a very young child and the Border Patrol agents who put their lives at risk every day securing our nation’s borders.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the Buffalo Sector oversees 341 miles of international maritime border, including portions of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The sector’s area of responsibility spans approximately 153,000 square miles across multiple states, including New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Northern border crossings, while less frequent than those along the southern border, continue to present enforcement challenges due to waterways, remote terrain, and weather conditions that can increase the risk of injury or death during illegal entry attempts, according to federal authorities.
