Romanian charged with human smuggling after crash injures 7 near B.C.-Washington border
A 48-year-old man is facing 13 federal charges in the United States after allegedly smuggling six Romanian citizens over the British Columbia border into Washington state.
American officials say illegal crossings at the B.C.-Washington border are growing more common and more dangerous.
Ionel Niculae, who is also known as Adrian Dumitrescu, was charged this week with six counts of aiding and abetting the improper entry of an undocumented individual. He is also facing three charges of bringing an undocumented person into the U.S. at a place other than a designated port of entry; three counts of bringing an undocumented person into the U.S. causing serious bodily injury; and one count of improper entry by an undocumented person.
The Romanian man was taken into custody at an accident scene near Sumas, Wash., on Sept. 17.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents say Niculae drove a Jeep carrying six passengers across a berry field into the U.S. near the Sumas border crossing, south of Abbotsford, B.C.
A camera on the Washington side of the border captured the vehicle's illegal crossing, according to the U.S. district attorney's office for western Washington.
The same Jeep was spotted by Canadian officials crossing illegally into B.C. three days earlier, according to the district attorney.
As border agents pursued the Jeep into the U.S., the Sumas Police Department alerted the agents to a serious rollover crash in which the Jeep allegedly ran a stop sign and struck an SUV approximately four kilometres south of the Canadian border.
All six passengers in the Jeep were taken to hospital, along with the driver of the SUV.
Tessa M. Gorman, acting U.S. attorney for western Washington, says the driver who was struck by the Jeep is still recovering from injuries sustained in the crash.
"We are responding to an increase in dangerous smuggling events on our northern border," Gorman said in a statement. "This case illustrates how these illegal smuggling efforts endanger not only those being smuggled into the U.S., but also others travelling near the border."
Thee passengers in the Jeep suffered broken bones, including two with broken pelvises and one with a broken leg. Niculae was not injured, according to the district attorney.
"This incident underscores the risks to innocent members of our community, and the challenges we face in safeguarding our borders and keeping our communities safe," Chief Rosario Vasquez of the Blaine Sector Border Patrol said in a statement.
"Events like this highlight the disregard smugglers have for human life."
On Nov. 9, border patrol agents from Blaine, Wash., arrested two Romanian citizens suspected of smuggling a dozen other Romanians into the U.S., including seven children under the age of 14 who were found in the rear of an SUV.
U.S. border agents from Blaine, Wash., arrested two Romanian citizens suspected of smuggling 12 Romanians into the U.S., including seven children under the age of 14 who were found in the rear of an SUV, on Nov. 9, 2023. (U.S. Customs and Border Patrol)
U.S. Homeland Security investigator Robert Hammer, who oversees the department's investigations in the Pacific Northwest, says investigations into human-smuggling rings have become a priority in the region.
"We have seen an uptick in the number of human smuggling events here in Washington state along our northern border with Canada," he said.
If convicted, Niculae faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the most serious charges of human-smuggling causing bodily injury, and up to 10 years in prison on the charges of bringing an undocumented person into the U.S. outside of a port of entry.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.