PORT ANGELES — An anonymous tip led to the arrest of three Canadian citizens who had entered the U.S. illegally by boat, the U.S. Border Patrol said Thursday.
Agents thwarted the human smuggling attempt last Friday after receiving a tip of a boat beached about 10 miles west of Joyce, said Chris Dyer, supervisory Border Patrol agent in Port Angeles.
The agents discovered two Canadian citizens who had entered the country on a 19-foot vessel and a third Canadian citizen who was driving a getaway vehicle, they said.
All three were arrested, and the boat was seized.
“There were several agents involved in that arrest,” Dyer said.
Dyer said he is not permitted to disclose the names of the people detained.
Awaiting hearing
The Canadian citizens are in custody in Tacoma awaiting deportation back to Canada.
“They are currently detained at the Northwest Detention Center awaiting a hearing,” Dyer said.
“We appreciate the community’s involvement to increase their security and safety by reporting what may seem to be unusual activities,” said Todd McCool, Border Patrol agent in charge in Port Angeles, in a statement.
Dyer said it is not unusual for the public to leave anonymous tips with the Border Patrol.
“We’ve been doing a lot of public outreach in recent month,” Dyer said.
He said the Border Patrol is operating with limited resources, and he encouraged the public to report suspicious activity.
The 24-hour hot line is 800-556-1345.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
