A dual Canadian-American citizen accused of leading a human smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of an entire family, including two small children, has been extradited from Canada to face charges in New York.
Stephanie Square, 52, of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation, was transferred to U.S. custody following her arrest in Canada last August. She faces multiple charges including conspiracy to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death.
Deadly Crossing
The charges stem from a tragic incident in March 2023 when a Romanian family of four drowned while attempting to cross the St. Lawrence River during hazardous weather conditions. According to prosecutors, Square coordinated the ill-fated crossing despite clear dangers.
“During the week of March 27, 2023, a prolific Canadian smuggler contacted Square to smuggle a Romanian family of four,” documents from the case reveal. “Undeterred by the dangerous weather conditions, Square enlisted Dakota Montour to transport the family to Timothy Oakes’ residence.”
What happened next turned a routine smuggling operation into a deadly tragedy. On the evening of March 29, 2023, Oakes allegedly transported the family toward a public boat launch with a light blue boat in tow. Between 10:09 PM and 10:50 PM that night, multiple calls reported cries for help on the St. Lawrence River. The bodies of all four family members, including the two children, were recovered over the following days.
Network Unraveled
Square’s extradition marks a significant development in a case that has resulted in multiple arrests. Her co-conspirators — Timothy Oakes, 34; Dakota Montour, 31; Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43; and Janet Terrance, 45 — were previously apprehended. While Oakes remains detained pending trial, the others have already entered guilty pleas.
The investigation was conducted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a Department of Homeland Security partnership that has been aggressively targeting human smuggling networks. Since its formation, JTFA has achieved more than 420 domestic and international arrests and secured over 370 U.S. convictions related to human smuggling operations.
A Quebec Superior Court judge also ordered that another suspect, Rahsontanohstha Delormier, be held in custody awaiting extradition to the U.S. on related charges.
Broader Initiative
Is this case part of something bigger? Indeed, it falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration, cartels, and violent crime linked to human smuggling and trafficking networks.
The initiative “marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration,” according to a DOJ statement, with the goal to “achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
Square’s extradition followed extensive coordination between U.S. and Canadian authorities, highlighting the cross-border effort to dismantle smuggling operations that utilize the Akwesasne Mohawk territory, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border.
As Square awaits trial in New York, the case stands as a grim reminder of the human cost when desperate migrants place their lives in the hands of smuggling networks willing to risk everything — including the lives of small children — for profit.
