River Run: Smuggler Faces Years in Prison

⏱ 3 min read

Buffalo, NY – A desperate river crossing turned into a federal case. Andres Carrillo-Hernandez, 27, a citizen of Mexico, is facing serious time after Border Patrol busted him piloting a makeshift raft across the upper Niagara River on March 15, 2026. He allegedly smuggled two adults and a small child from Canada into the US for a $2,000 payday.

Agents, acting on a tip, spotted the group inflating the raft on the Canadian side near Boyers Creek. Infrared cameras tracked them making the dangerous crossing to Grand Island, NY. As Carrillo-Hernandez steered the raft ashore near West River Road, a child’s cries alerted agents to the presence of the smuggled family. Carrillo-Hernandez was immediately taken into custody for illegal entry, along with the adults he was paid to ferry across.

According to the complaint, Carrillo-Hernandez confessed to taking the cash to transport the trio. Investigators confirmed none of the four had any legal authorization to enter the United States. It was a simple, brazen operation: a raft, a river, and a fast buck.

Carrillo-Hernandez appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is being held pending a detention hearing on March 24, 2026. If convicted, he’s looking at a mandatory minimum of three years, and potentially up to ten, behind bars. The investigation was handled by the U.S. Border Patrol.