RCMP deports man who entered Canada illegally at Sault border crossing

After a tip by U.S. border authorities, a man who illegally entered Canada from the U.S. in Sault Ste. Marie was deported by members of the RCMP border unit.

A man who crossed illegally from the U.S. into Canada last month was arrested in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., by a special RCMP border unit.

The incident took place Dec. 8 when Canadian border officials received a tip from their U.S. counterparts.

“United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) alerted Canadian authorities after the individual declared his intention to cross into Canada while visiting a local U.S. business,” officials said in a news release Jan. 7.

“He was later captured on U.S. surveillance cameras entering Canada on foot via the International Train Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie.”

Canvassed the city

Members of the RCMP’s border integrity unit canvassed the city with the image of the man in question.

“Thanks to the cooperation of local businesses, investigators obtained surveillance footage that helped determine the individual’s direction of travel,” the release said.

“This information was critical in narrowing the search area.”

Working with Sault police, the man was found at a business on McNabb Street and was arrested without incident.

“RCMP transported him to the port of entry, where the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) deemed him inadmissible to Canada,” officials said.

At that point, an exclusion order was issued and he was returned south of the border.

“This successful outcome underscores the critical importance of cross-border cooperation and timely information sharing,” RCMP Cpl. Van Shafiei said in the news release.

Cooperation between USCBP, CBSA, police “and private security personnel from a local business was instrumental in achieving this result.”

Anyone with information related to cross-border activity, including illegal entry, smuggling, drug importation, trafficking, possession or other criminal activity, can contact the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020, the Canadian border watch line at 1-888-502-9060 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).