A French teen spent two weeks in custody after she accidentally crossed into the United States while jogging on a beach in White Rock, B.C.
Cedella Roman, 19, was taking a beach day with her mother and sister on Victoria Day.
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Her mother, Christiane Ferne, and her sister were set to go home when Roman said she’d like to go for a jog, and would see them later.
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There were no signs on the beach warning people that they might end up running across the border, though there was a sign close to some railroad tracks.
Roman crossed over accidentally, took a picture, and then she was approached by U.S. border officials.
They detained her, keeping her in custody for two weeks.
At about 9 p.m. on Victoria Day, Ferne received a call from her daughter bawling, telling her that she was detained in the U.S.
“The thing is that anybody can cross the border very quickly,” Ferne told Global News.
“It’s like a trap because if we don’t see a sign, you can cross the border very easily.”
In an email, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said it is not responsible for signage beyond the designated port of entry.
Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that even if you cross inadvertently — even if it’s just a mistake — it’s illegal.
“It is the responsibility of an individual travelling in the vicinity of an international border to maintain awareness of their surroundings and their location at all times to ensure they do not illegally cross the border,” said a CBP spokesperson.
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