Akwesasne woman sought in U.S. over drowning deaths of migrants in St. Lawrence River
Stephanie Square, 51, was indicted on nine charges by a grand jury in the Northern District of New York in June in connection with the deaths of a Romanian family of four who were among eight migrants trying to cross the St. Lawrence River.
The United States is seeking the extradition of a woman from Akwesasne Mohawk Territory who is alleged to have played a significant role in a human smuggling operation linked to the drownings of eight migrants last year.
Stephanie Square, 51, was indicted on nine charges by a grand jury in the Northern District of New York in June. The charges are connected to the deaths of a Romanian family of four, who were among eight migrants attempting to cross the St. Lawrence River.
In late March 2023, the Romanian family and four individuals from India lost their lives while trying to illegally enter the United States from Canada via Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, which spans Quebec, Ontario, and New York state.
The body of a ninth individual, an Akwesasne man who was allegedly piloting the boat carrying the eight migrants, was discovered in July 2023.
Extradition documents filed in Quebec Superior Court reveal that Square had exchanged text messages with alleged co-conspirators, discussing concerns about the weather conditions on the night of the fatal crossing.
Court records indicate that Square was arraigned in Quebec Superior Court on August 22 and is currently detained in the province.
Requests for comment from the RCMP and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service have not yet been returned.
