Akwesasne woman sought in U.S. over drownings of migrants in St. Lawrence River

MONTREAL — The United States is seeking the extradition of a woman from Akwesasne Mohawk Territory who is alleged to have been a key player in a human smuggling operation tied to the drownings of eight migrants last year.

Stephanie Square, 51, was indicted on nine charges by a grand jury in the Northern District of New York in June in connection with the deaths of a Romanian family of four who were among eight migrants who drowned in the St. Lawrence River. The charges include conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, smuggling for profit, and alien smuggling resulting in death.

The Romanian family and four people from India died in late March 2023 while trying to enter illegally into the U.S. from Canada through Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, which straddles Quebec, Ontario and New York state.

The bodies of the migrants were pulled from the river in Akwesasne, about 130 kilometres southwest of Montreal, on March 30 and 31, 2023. The body of a ninth person — Casey Oakes, 30, an Akwesasne man allegedly piloting the boat carrying the eight migrants — was found in the water in July 2023.

Authorities have said that Akwesasne’s unique geography makes the territory a popular spot for smugglers of humans and contraband.

On June 6, RCMP announced they had arrested four people and issued arrest warrants for four others, all linked to a human smuggling ring that ferried migrants illegally across the border. Police said that two of the accused were charged in connection with the four Indian nationals who perished in the river.

Extradition documents filed in Quebec Superior Court say Square exchanged text messages with alleged co-conspirators in which concerns were raised about the weather conditions on March 29, 2023, the night of the fatal crossing. The allegations have not been proven in court.

The documents allege Square and two co-accused — Dakota Montour, 30, and Rahsontanohstha Delormier, 29 — used the Mohawk territory and Cornwall Island, Ont., as a staging area for smuggling. The group transported migrants to Cornwall Island where Square allegedly arranged for transportation across the river by boat.

Once across, drivers on the other side transported them further south in New York state.

U.S. officials are still looking for Montour and Delormier, who are both believed to be residing on the Canadian side of Akwesasne.

There are a number of co-operating witnesses in the case, including one who allegedly told authorities that Square attempted to recruit him as a boatman for the fatal river journey. The witness allegedly refused because “the weather was too bad.” Winds on March 29, 2023, blew at 45 to 60 kilometres per hour and temperatures hovered below freezing.

Authorities allege Square purchased a boat from the informant for about $5,000 and asked Delormier to pilot the vessel; however, that boat broke down earlier in the day, forcing them to find an alternative. That’s when Square allegedly hired Oakes to transport the Romanian family later that night.

Extradition documents say that around 10 p.m. on March 29 Montour reported to Square there was no sign the Romanian family made it to the other side of the river.

At 3:36 a.m. the next day, Square told Montour in a text message, “Can you erase these messages.”

Court documents say, “U.S. authorities believe, based on information informally shared through law enforcement channels that members of the Square (human smuggling operation) continue to engage in smuggling activities and present a risk to the safety of the community.”

“The defendants are familiar with and have demonstrated a pattern of using the (Akwesasne Mohawk Territory) to smuggle aliens across the international border for profit.”

Court documents show that Square was arraigned in Quebec Superior Court on Aug. 22, and is detained in the province. An arrest warrant had been obtained earlier in the month for her.

Akwesasne police confirmed in a statement that Square is scheduled to appear in court next week. The RCMP’s Quebec detachment said it was not able to comment Wednesday.

The Romanian family was identified as Florin Iordache, 28; his wife, Cristina (Monalisa) Zenaida Iordache, 28; their two-year-old daughter, Evelin; and one-year-old son, Elyen. Both children were Canadian citizens and the family had been living in the Toronto area.

The four people from India who died were members of the Chaudhari family from the western Indian state of Gujarat. They included the father, Praveenbhai Chaudhari, 50; mother, Dakshaben, 45; son, Meet, 20; and daughter, Vidhi, 23.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2024.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press