Washington, D.C. — A dual citizen of Canada and the United States was apprehended earlier this month in relation to a deadly human smuggling operation that crossed the U.S.-Canada border, resulting in the tragic deaths of a Romanian family of four, which included two young children.
Timothy Oakes, 34, residing on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation, was arrested on June 15 while trying to enter the United States at the Massena, New York, Port of Entry. He faces charges of conspiracy to smuggle aliens, smuggling for profit, and smuggling that led to death, following a federal indictment issued on April 9. He will remain in custody until his trial.
Officials state that Oakes was a key figure in a transnational human smuggling operation that illegally transported individuals from Canada into northern New York by boat across the St. Lawrence River. Court documents reveal that Oakes utilized his residence as a staging area for migrants and received $1,000 for each person he smuggled.
In a heartbreaking incident in March 2023, Oakes sheltered a Romanian family—a mother, father, a one-year-old boy, and a two-year-old girl—for 24 hours before facilitating their attempted crossing into the U.S. by boat. The boat, which was operated by Oakes’ brother, Casey Oakes, capsized in the frigid, windswept waters of the St. Lawrence River, resulting in the deaths of all five individuals on board.
“Their greed resulted in the deaths of a mother, a father, and two small children, as well as one of the defendants’ own brothers,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and bring justice to smugglers whose actions result in senseless deaths.”
Three co-conspirators from the U.S.—Dakota Montour, 31; Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43; and Janet Terrance, 45—have already confessed to their involvement in the operation. Montour acknowledged that he was conscious of the harsh weather conditions on the night of the deadly crossing—strong winds, frigid temperatures, and limited visibility—but the smuggling effort proceeded, nonetheless.
“This case shows the terrible perils of illegally crossing the border,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Four family members died because a smuggling network put them in harm’s way.”
“This arrest represents our continued effort to hold accountable those who put lives at risk for profit,” said Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Buffalo. “This wasn’t just illegal—it was deadly.”
View the indictment here and detention letter here
