Two U.S. men, including one who worked as a bus driver, have been charged by Canadian police in connection to a human smuggling operation.
The RCMP said in a news release Wednesday the men — a 36-year-old New York state resident and a 35-year-old New Jersey man — allegedly organized the entry of more than 50 migrants into Canada by bus over a period of around three months.
One of the men was employed as a bus driver for the company used, the force said. The men were arrested in September 2023 at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing in Quebec.
They have been charged with organizing entry into Canada, contrary to section 117 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, conspiracy to organize entry into Canada, and conspiracy to bribe an officer, in this case an employee of the Canada Border Services Agency.
A request for extradition to Canada is being considered. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.