Smuggler Pleads Guilty After Family Dies in St. Lawrence River
A Romanian family — two parents and two children under three years old — drowned in the St. Lawrence River in the middle of the night. They were trying to cross from Canada into the United States, guided by a paid smuggler. Now, that smuggler has admitted his role in court.
A family of four drowned — and a smuggler just admitted his role
Rahsontanohstha Delormier, 31, a dual Canadian-American citizen from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain. He was extradited from Canada to the United States in 2025. His sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2026. He faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.
Delormier worked as a boat driver for a human smuggling organization (HSO) — a criminal network that moves people across borders illegally for money. Starting around 2023, the group transported migrants from Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, across the St. Lawrence River into northern New York State. On the night of March 28, 2023, a co-conspirator drove a Romanian family of four — two parents and two children under the age of three — to a boat launch on Cornwall Island. A boat pilot attempted to take the family across the river. The boat capsized in severe weather: high winds, freezing temperatures, and low visibility. The entire family and the boat driver died.
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Delormier had originally planned to pilot the boat himself that night, but his own boat broke down after he became stranded on St. Regis Island. A co-conspirator then arranged a different boat and pilot for the family — with fatal results. Federal prosecutors said the smugglers acted with "callous disregard for human life" and for profit. Several co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty. Co-conspirator Stephanie Square, 53, was also extradited from Canada in 2025 and is still awaiting trial.
What this means for immigrants and asylum seekers
This case is a stark warning about the deadly risks of using smugglers — often called "coyotes" or boat pilots — to enter the United States illegally. Smugglers charge money and make decisions based on profit, not safety. Migrants who pay smugglers have no legal protection if something goes wrong. There are legal ways to seek protection in the United States, including applying for asylum (a form of legal protection for people fleeing persecution). Filing Form I-589 (the application for asylum) currently costs $0 — there is no filing fee as of April 2024.
What to do
- Do not use smugglers. Paying someone to bring you across the border illegally puts your life at risk — and can result in criminal charges against you as well.
- If you need protection, apply for asylum legally. You can file Form I-589 (the asylum application) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or in immigration court. The filing fee is $0.
- If you are already in the US and fear deportation, contact a licensed immigration lawyer before taking any action. Many nonprofits offer free or low-cost legal help.
- If you know someone being recruited by a smuggling network, you can report it to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at 1-866-347-2423.
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This case illustrates why migrants should never rely on smuggling networks — not only is it life-threatening, but passengers in these boats can also face their own immigration consequences, including bars to asylum eligibility depending on how they entered. If you are outside the US and fear persecution, you may be able to apply for refugee status or request a humanitarian visa through a US consulate. If you are already inside the US without status, you may still have options — including asylum — but the clock matters, so consult an immigration attorney as soon as possible.