Human smuggler pleads guilty to role in family’s drowning

Dual Canadian-American citizen Stephanie Square pleaded guilty Thursday to a human smuggling conspiracy in which a family of four drowned in the St. Lawrence River. In 2023, Square coordinated with a Canadian smuggler and recruited several co-conspirators to bring a Romanian family across the river into the United States, according to the Justice Department. The route included a stop at Canada’s Cornwall Island near New York State. 

What happened on the day of the drowning? Square went forward with the operation on March 29, 2023, despite high winds, freezing temperatures, and low visibility, according to the Justice Department. One of the co-conspirators refused to assist in the operation due to the high winds, prosecutors said. The smuggling boat capsized, leading to the deaths of its pilot and the Romanian family—which included two children under the age of 3.

Square is a resident of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, but was extradited to the United States, along with a co-conspirator, to face charges. A total of five other people involved in the smuggling operation already pleaded guilty, according to the Justice Department.

What specific charges and potential penalties does Square face? She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. Her sentencing will take place in November. She could spend from five years to life in prison. 

Dig deeper: Read my report on human smuggling charges against a Bangladeshi man.