US authorities have arrested four Brazilians who entered the United States illegally across the border with Canada. All the defendants counted on the help of the same “coyotes”, points out the American government. The episode took place on the last day 20, but was released on Tuesday (23). According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), federal agents spotted three men on a jet ski crossing the Canada-US border in Port Huron, Michigan. Two of them, the agency said, left the ship, walked down the road and got into a car – the jet ski pilot returned to the Canadian side.

The two men were arrested shortly after, still in the car transporting them. They identified themselves as Brazilians aged 34 and 35 and, according to the US government, admitted to crossing the border illegally. The driver of the car, a 39-year-old American, was also arrested. A few hours later, officers noticed the same movement: a similar jet ski left two people in the same area and returned to Canada.

This time, however, the two immigrants were accosted by police before getting into the car. When questioned, they also identified themselves as Brazilian – a 47-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman. All were taken to the CBP police station in Marysville and there the identity of the prisoners was confirmed. “These criminals made a brazen attempt on a busy weekend,” said patrol leader Robert Danley.

Also according to the US government, Canadian federal police arrested two other people involved in the scheme. However, it is not certain that those arrested are the drivers of the jet ski. “This speaks to the importance of federal and international partnerships in our border security mission,” said CBP Area Chief Marc Sledge. “Our officers do an extraordinary job every day to protect America,” he added.

Arrests like these are common at US borders. The greatest intensity, however, is at the US border with Mexico, where millions of people are arrested trying to enter the country illegally. On some occasions, immigrants die before they even set foot on American soil. As the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported on the 16th, a federal police investigation clarified the death of a 21-year-old Brazilian who was abandoned by a coyote last year while attempting to irregularly cross the border from Mexico with the United States. The body was found on April 19, six days after the failed attempt.

The family of Ayron Henrickson Fernandes Gonçalves did not discover the outcome of the story until five months after his death, and the young man was buried as a pauper. His case, however, was not the only one involving Brazilians who lost their lives in this way. Since 2020, at least eight Brazilians have died trying to make the crossing – one of the best-known cases is that of Lenilda dos Santos, which happened nearly a year ago. There are also reports of kidnappings, rapes, extortion and abandonment along the way. In early August, the US Department of Homeland Security announced the end of a measure that forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their request to be processed by US justice.

The Migrant Protection Protocol – a policy known as “Remain in Mexico” – was instituted by former President Donald Trump in 2020 and has sent at least 70,000 asylum seekers to the neighboring country since he entered in effect, according to the American Council of Mexico. Immigration. The program has been criticized for placing vulnerable people in border towns in unsafe conditions. With this decision, no one else will be included in the protection protocol and those who cross the border to attend court hearings will not be sent back to Mexico. (Folhapress)

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