Police identify two among eight dead trying to enter U.S. from Canada

(Reuters) – Canadian police on Saturday identified two of the eight bodies recovered from two families who died this week while trying to cross the St. Lawrence River into the United States from Canada by boat. identified.

Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service said 28-year-old Florin Iordache had died and was in possession of the Canadian passports of two children, ages 2 and 1, whose bodies were also recovered. Police have also identified a 28-year-old victim, Christina (Mona Lisa) Zenaida and her Iordache.

Police believe the tragedy may have occurred Wednesday night in bad weather and were looking for those involved in the missing incident. was found near

Deputy Commissioner Lee Ann O’Brien said Friday that the victims appeared to be two families, an Indian and a Romanian, who were trying to reach the United States illegally.

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed last week to stop asylum seekers from crossing the unofficial border into Canada. Critics said the move could encourage refugees and migrants to take more risks when crossing the border.

Akwesasne police said the agreement to close all unofficial border crossings, including Wroxham Road in Quebec, should not have been taken into account here because the family was trying to go to the United States instead of Canada.

Last year in Manitoba, Canada, an Indian family of four froze to death while trying to enter the United States.

The Akwesasne Reserve straddles both sides of the St. Lawrence River, with land in Ontario and Quebec on the Canadian side, and New York.

More people are using Akwesasne’s territory to covertly enter the United States, with 80 interceptions recorded this year, most of them Indians or Romanians, Dulude said. I’m here.

Reporting by David Shepherdson, Editing by Franklin Paul

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