LEWISTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — Authorities in Niagara County say they're experiencing an uptick in illegal crossings on the Niagara River from Canada into the United States.
Brady Waikel, the Patrol Agent in Charge at the Niagara Falls U.S. Customs and Border Protection station, has worked with CBP for about 24 years. He has worked across the country, including along parts of the southern border.
"The threat's a little different up here than what we see down south," said Waikel. "Generally speaking, we're not dealing with the large numbers that people are dealing with and that you see on the news down south. But since November probably, we've been seeing an uptick in the number of people crossing in small rafts and small boats."
7 News' Kristen Mirand rode along with Waikel to understand what's happening. Since November, CBP said it has made nine arrests in connection to three separate incidents of people crossing the Niagara River from Canada.
"They’re only attempting here right now because they think they can get away with it," said Waikel. "If we can make it less appealing for them by making it so it's not successful here — to make it too risky for them — the smugglers, they won’t do it."
Waikel said what we're usually seeing is cases of human smuggling.
"Human smuggling always has a facilitator involved," said Waikel. "There's somebody there that’s coordinating it, bringing people in, because the people that are being smuggled are not locals they’re not from here — generally from other countries. They’re paying money and being brought to the river, given a raft and being told where and how to cross and those smugglers, they don’t care about those people.
"To them, the people being smuggled, they’re a commodity to be crossed. It's just a way of earning money."
Waikel said when they cross — it can be extremely dangerous.
"Hypothermia is a very real risk. Every single person we've caught from off one of these rafts has been completely wet from head to foot," he explained, "We've had to get them dry clothes some of them have needed medical attention."
After they are checked, Waikel said agents will do interviews to determine who they are and what they are doing.
Lewiston Police Chief Frank Previte said in his nearly 30 years of service — he's never seen this much activity along the border.
"We've never seen that kind of frequency but you know, to their credit border patrol and their intelligence meetings and our meetings with them, they have predicted that this would possibly happen," Previte said.
To crack down, CBP and Lewiston police team up through Operation Stonegarden. It is a federal grant that allows Lewiston officers to focus solely on the "border security mission."
"We drive...up and down that river every day and know what's normal and what's not, what's kind of out of place, so it's a great partnership," Chief Previte said.
But to help with that goal — they also need your help.
"I don't want the public to be afraid of if they don't know what they're seeing if it looks suspicious — call us let us determine if it's illegal activity or not," Waikel said. "I do not want to alarm the neighborhood up here. I think it's important that the communities understand that we are not being overrun."
