By Canadian Press

Akwesasne police say body found near island in St-Lawrence River

Jul 4, 2023 | 8:45 AM

MONTREAL — Police in Akwesasne Mohawk Territory say a body has been found near a small island in the St. Lawrence River.

The body was located about 10 kilometres northeast from Snye, Akwesasne, where the bodies of eight people were found in a marshy area of the river last March.

Police have said that those eight people — two families of Indian and Romanian migrants — died during a failed attempt to cross illegally into the United States by boat.

Since then, Akwesasne police have been searching for a 30-year-old local man, Casey Oakes, who was last seen operating the boat that was later found next to the bodies of the two migrant families.

Police said Monday the body was found around 2 p.m. that day near Ross Island and that they were awaiting confirmation of the person’s identity by the coroner.

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Authorities describe Akwesasne, about 130 kilometres southwest of Montreal, as a popular spot for human smuggling due to its geography, which straddles the borders between Quebec, Ontario and New York state.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2023.

The Canadian Press