A recent guilty plea from a tribal member in Canada has ripped open the tragic reality of human smuggling along America's northern border, exposing a callous disregard for human life that culminated in the horrific deaths of a family, including two young children under the age of three.
Stephanie Square, a 53-year-old dual Canadian-American citizen from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory, operated a sophisticated smuggling ring that funneled illegal immigrants across the sensitive northern frontier via the reservation, according to the Justice Department. Her operation was a brazen exploitation of the border's vulnerabilities.
In March 2023, Square was contacted by a “prolific Canadian smuggler” with a deadly request: transport a Romanian family of four across the perilous St. Lawrence River into New York. Despite severe warnings – including high winds, freezing temperatures, and dangerously limited visibility – Square pressed ahead, prioritizing payment over the lives of those she was trafficking.
Even one individual she attempted to recruit to her scheme refused, citing the extreme hazards of the river that night. Yet, Square, driven by greed, simply sought out other partners in her deadly enterprise, showing a chilling indifference to the looming catastrophe.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division starkly articulated the dangers: “Aliens attempting to enter the United States illegally across the U.S.-Canada border are exposed to a range of dangers at the hands of human smugglers trying to capitalize on the misfortunes and misplaced hopes of others. Here, in the face of known dangers, the defendant directed her co-conspirators to smuggle a family with young children across the St. Lawrence River on a cold, windy night with limited visibility. The dangers materialized into a preventable and tragic loss of life.”
The operation unfolded with deadly precision. Dakota Montour, identified as one of Square’s “regular” smuggling drivers, ferried the family to Timothy Oakes’ home on Cornwall Island, a notorious staging area for such illicit crossings. From there, Oakes’ car was observed hauling a light blue boat towards a public launch.
Tragedy struck swiftly. The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service launched a search, recovering the bodies of the four family members between March 30 and March 31, 2023, along with the very smuggling boat that carried them to their untimely end. The boat captain, Casey Oakes, was later found deceased.
Square has now pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. She faces a minimum of five years and potentially life in prison for her heinous crimes, a just consequence for her profound disregard for human life and national sovereignty.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York John A. Sarcone III underscored the gravity of the offenses, stating, “This defendant and their co-conspirators showed a blatant disregard for human life, our laws, and the safety of our communities. We remain unwavering in our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to protect and secure our northern border.”
This conviction, following guilty pleas from four of Square’s co-conspirators and the recent extradition of Square and Rahsontanohstha Delormier (known as “Storm”) from Canada, serves as a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of unchecked borders. While the southern border often dominates headlines, this horrific incident proves that every inch of America’s frontier demands unwavering security and the robust enforcement of our laws. The America First movement insists on a nation secure from all threats, and the trafficking of human beings, with such devastating outcomes, is a threat that demands absolute accountability and an end to policies that incentivize such depravity.
