UK Family 'Traumatized' After Arrest at US-Canada Border

[Ana the Ist]

It’s credible.

It's possible...

Seems really unlikely though...

They swerved onto an unmarked road to avoid an animal? Seriously lol?? I've swerved to avoid many an animal...but never onto an unmarked road that I traveled down for miles into another nation lol.

Gimme a break.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Reminds me of the time I was sailing near Crete...got turned around...and ended up on the beaches of Iceland.

Seriously, what year is this? 1492? Were they searching for a swift passage to the New World? Are they Vikings? Possibly mentally handicapped? What exactly happened there?

 

[JackRT]

There are places on the Canada/USA border that are extremely "intimate". There is a town on the New Brunswick/Maine border where you can walk into the barber shop and choose a chair in Canada or a chair in the USA.

 

[Ana the Ist]

There are places on the Canada/USA border that are extremely "intimate". There is a town on the New Brunswick/Maine border where you can walk into the barber shop and choose a chair in Canada or a chair in the USA.

I'm sure...that doesn't make their story more believable though.

 

[JackRT]

I'm sure...that doesn't make their story more believable though.

I find it credible.

 

[Goonie]

It's possible...

Seems really unlikely though...

They swerved onto an unmarked road to avoid an animal? Seriously lol?? I've swerved to avoid many an animal...but never onto an unmarked road that I traveled down for miles into another nation lol.

Gimme a break.

Well seeking to illegally immigrate is less likely, with 5 people including a baby drug running is not exactly likely, and terrorism? Even less likely, so accidentally crossing the border is definitely credible.

 

[Nithavela]

Do you believe their story?

Pretty much. If they had been trying to smuggle drugs, they would have been indicted, and the amount of UK citizens trying to illegally immigrate into the USA is, as far as I know, close to non-existent.

I see no reason to disbelieve it.

Maybe you would be more inclined to believe them if they were a family of cops.

 

[Ana the Ist]

I find it credible.

Really? I've been to Canada. Granted, not recently...but far before you get to a port, you start to see signs like this everywhere.

So even when you aren't looking for the border you have an idea where it is. This family would have had to have either missed all these signs (while lost) or turned off a main road for quite some distance and kept traveling anyway.

Again...I'm not calling it impossible. It's just unlikely.

 

[dqhall]

There are places on the Canada/USA border that are extremely "intimate". There is a town on the New Brunswick/Maine border where you can walk into the barber shop and choose a chair in Canada or a chair in the USA.

There is a town full of Mexican dentists across the border from Yuma, AZ named Los Algodones. Americans walked across the border to get cheap dental work done, then walked back.

Cubans used to float on rafts to Florida where they were granted asylum. Not anymore.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Pretty much. If they had been trying to smuggle drugs, they would have been indicted, and the amount of UK citizens trying to illegally immigrate into the USA is, as far as I know, close to non-existent.

Well let's see...

British family claim US officials 'kidnapped' them for accidentally straying across border from Canada

They were in Vancouver, swerved onto a road leading out of Vancouver....and into the US...to avoid hitting an animal.

Perhaps they overstayed their visa and didn't want to be detained by Canadian authorities...thought they'd be quickly sped home by the US. Perhaps they were drunk driving. Perhaps they had marijuana and figured they wouldn't be in trouble for possession in Washington...then ditched it. Perhaps they wanted to sell a story about the US border patrol. Perhaps they have an agenda to push.

There's about a hundred reasons that make more sense....even coming across with drugs won't guarantee prosecution. The DEA declines small amounts all the time.

Maybe you would be more inclined to believe them if they were a family of cops.

I'd actually find it less believable as I'd expect the police to have some idea of the law.

 

[Nithavela]

Well let's see...

British family claim US officials 'kidnapped' them for accidentally straying across border from Canada

They were in Vancouver, swerved onto a road leading out of Vancouver....and into the US...to avoid hitting an animal.

Perhaps they overstayed their visa and didn't want to be detained by Canadian authorities...thought they'd be quickly sped home by the US. Perhaps they were drunk driving. Perhaps they had marijuana and figured they wouldn't be in trouble for possession in Washington...then ditched it. Perhaps they wanted to sell a story about the US border patrol. Perhaps they have an agenda to push.

Conspiracy forum is that-a-way.

 

[JackRT]

They were not kidnapped --- what happened was legal but incredibly stupid.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Conspiracy forum is that-a-way.

I'm just pointing out "possibilities" for crossing that you decided to leave out.

I mean, they're in Vancouver....which is one of those cities that straddles the border lol. It's basically impossible to "accidentally" cross while driving in Vancouver. They said they were "on their way back to their hotel"....when they "accidentally swerved onto an unknown road to avoid an animal". Instead of....you know....turning around....they figured "hey, let's just keep going"....and ended up in the US. Him, his wife, his cousin, cousin's wife, and three children.

Again....not saying it's impossible just extremely unlikely or stupid.

 

[Goonie]

I'm just pointing out "possibilities" for crossing that you decided to leave out.

I mean, they're in Vancouver....which is one of those cities that straddles the border lol. It's basically impossible to "accidentally" cross while driving in Vancouver. They said they were "on their way back to their hotel"....when they "accidentally swerved onto an unknown road to avoid an animal". Instead of....you know....turning around....they figured "hey, let's just keep going"....and ended up in the US. Him, his wife, his cousin, cousin's wife, and three children.

Again....not saying it's impossible just extremely unlikely or stupid.

And yet accidentally crossing into the US is far more likely than the silly conspiracy theories you cooked up.

 

[Ana the Ist]

And yet accidentally crossing into the US is far more likely than the silly conspiracy theories you cooked up.

Is it? According to who? My guess is that under the list of reasons why people illegally cross the border "derp...which way is Canada?" probably isn't high on the list.

These people haven't even made it home yet and they're practically shopping their story around. How can they possibly complain they haven't been denied a chance to speak with their consulate....yet they've spoken with attorneys and the press? Have you seen pictures of the "evil detention center"?

 

[essentialsaltes]

CBP officials disputed the family’s version of events and said the Connors were spotted via video surveillance “slowly and deliberately driving through a ditch onto Boundary Road in Lynden, Washington,” between parallel roadways on the U.S. and Canadian sides. The roads are not connected by cross streets, and the only legal way to traverse between the countries is through staffed border stations throughout the region.

Cambria could not immediately be reached Tuesday for comment.

The CBP statement said U.S. agents also determined that two of the family members had applied for travel authorization to visit the United States and were denied. A senior CBP official said the Connors applied for visa waivers last year, and it was not immediately clear why they were rejected.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the case, said the family — four adults and three small children — had $16,000 in cash at the time of their arrest.

“Attempts were made to return the individuals to Canada, however, Canada refused to allow their return and two attempts to contact the United Kingdom consulate were unsuccessful,” the CBP statement read.




They are rapists and murderers and we will take their children. They will learn to speak American correctly.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Monstrous....definitely not the Vancouver Ramada.

There's a video too.

Brit family held in 'filthy' US jail 'after swerving over border to miss animal'

Probably can't even get a proper cup of tea in there.

 

[Ana the Ist]

CBP officials disputed the family’s version of events and said the Connors were spotted via video surveillance “slowly and deliberately driving through a ditch onto Boundary Road in Lynden, Washington,” between parallel roadways on the U.S. and Canadian sides. The roads are not connected by cross streets, and the only legal way to traverse between the countries is through staffed border stations throughout the region.

Cambria could not immediately be reached Tuesday for comment.

The CBP statement said U.S. agents also determined that two of the family members had applied for travel authorization to visit the United States and were denied. A senior CBP official said the Connors applied for visa waivers last year, and it was not immediately clear why they were rejected.


They are rapists and murderers and we will take their child. It will learn to speak American correctly.

Well look at the upside....

No one really faces charges for lying to CBP. That happens a thousand times a day.

 

[Goonie]

CBP officials disputed the family’s version of events and said the Connors were spotted via video surveillance “slowly and deliberately driving through a ditch onto Boundary Road in Lynden, Washington,” between parallel roadways on the U.S. and Canadian sides. The roads are not connected by cross streets, and the only legal way to traverse between the countries is through staffed border stations throughout the region.

Cambria could not immediately be reached Tuesday for comment.

The CBP statement said U.S. agents also determined that two of the family members had applied for travel authorization to visit the United States and were denied. A senior CBP official said the Connors applied for visa waivers last year, and it was not immediately clear why they were rejected.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the case, said the family — four adults and three small children — had $16,000 in cash at the time of their arrest.

“Attempts were made to return the individuals to Canada, however, Canada refused to allow their return and two attempts to contact the United Kingdom consulate were unsuccessful,” the CBP statement read.




They are rapists and murderers and we will take their children. They will learn to speak American correctly.

If correct it definitely gives a new light to their story. I was before seeing your post going to say that another likely explanation for illegally crossing the border was taking an illegal day trip to the USA deliberately whilst on holiday, the accident Al crossing not being accidental. Though with $16000 that's some holiday money.

 

[BigDaddy4]

There are places on the Canada/USA border that are extremely "intimate".

Vancouver, BC is not one of those places. It's not even on the border

I mean, they're in Vancouver....which is one of those cities that straddles the border lol.

I'm with you that this sounds fishy, but you are factually incorrect about Vancouver straddling the border. It's actually about 30 miles from the closest border vehicle crossing.