Mexican man charged with human smuggling and child endangerment after crossing the Niagara River in a rubber boat

Smuggled Irish man wanted on Rhode Island felony assault charges GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. – U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two men and one woman after they illegally entered the United States from Canada. On March 15, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Buffalo Station responded to an area to investigate reports of an illegal entry into the United States. Agents spotted a small rubber raft and one individual. Agents then discovered an adult male Irish national, an adult female from the United Kingdom, and their infant concealed behind a nearby tree. All four had crossed the Upper Niagara River from Canada. Border Patrol agents took all four into custody. Border Patrol agents determined that the operator of the rubber raft was a Mexican national. He has no criminal record. Agents charged him with human smuggling, unlawful entry into the U.S. and child endangerment. The Irish man was charged with illegally re-entering the United States after being deported in June 2025. Agents also discovered that he was wanted in Rhode Island on felony assault charges. He will be extradited to Rhode Island following prosecution of his federal immigration charges. The woman and her infant were processed and removed to Canada. “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,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent, James D’Amato, U.S. Border Patrol Buffalo Sector. “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.” Buffalo Sector is responsible for securing and maintaining operational oversight of 341 linear miles of international maritime border, which includes approximately 80 miles of Lake Erie, all of Lake Ontario, 35 miles of the Niagara River, and 39 miles of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The operating domain spans 153,000 square miles within New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The assistance of citizens is invaluable to their border security mission, and they welcome community members to help them keep our nation’s borders safe and report suspicious activity at 1-800-331-0353.