A dual U.S.-Canadian citizen was taken into custody last month for his suspected involvement in an effort to illegally transport a Romanian family of four into the United States, which tragically resulted in their deaths, including two young children.

Timothy Oakes, 34, hailing from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR) in Canada, was apprehended on June 15 as he attempted to cross into the U.S. through the Massena, New York, port of entry, according to the Justice Department.

He faces charges of conspiring with others to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and four counts of alien smuggling leading to death. He appeared in a federal court on Tuesday and was ordered to remain in custody.

A cruise boat approaches the Thousand Islands International Bridge on the St. Lawrence River connecting New York with Ontario, Canada in the middle of the 1000 Islands region. (Getty Images)

He earned $1,000 per person, authorities said. In March 2023, Oakes housed a Romanian family of four, together with other aliens, for about 24 hours before allegedly taking them on his boat in an attempt to illegally bring them into the U.S.  

Oakes, his brother Casey, and the Romanian family were on the vessel when it capsized, killing the family, including two children under the age of 3, and his brother. 

“Two toddler-aged children and their parents were the tragic victims of an alien smuggling attempt gone horribly wrong,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector. “Their deaths were a direct result of callous smugglers who exploited the vulnerable.”

Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that they were employed to illegally transport the Romanian family — a mother, father, 1-year-old boy, and 2-year-old girl — from Canada into New York. Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on the day of the smuggling attempt — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility, the Justice Department said.