Source: Office of United States Attorneys
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – A Colombian man was extradited from Canada to the United States and arraigned today for charges arising from the drowning of a pregnant woman. The woman, a citizen of Mexico, died in December 2023 while trying to illegally enter the United States by wading across the Great Chazy River in Champlain, New York.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations, Buffalo, New York Field Office; and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement.
Jhader Augusto Uribe-Tobar, age 36, is a citizen of Colombia who resides in Quebec, Canada.
According to the indictment and an earlier-filed criminal complaint, Uribe-Tobar smuggled a pregnant woman, A.V.-F., from Canada into the Northern District of New York for $2,500, by instructing her to wade through the frigid Great Chazy River in darkness. The smuggling attempt ended in A.V-F.’s death.
United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “This tragedy highlights the dangers of illegal migration and how, as alleged, smugglers deliberately put people in harm’s way for profit. By vigorously prosecuting human smuggling networks, we are deterring and reducing the number of dangerous crossings like the one that took the lives of this young woman and her unborn child.”
HSI Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “We will not stand by as lives are tragically lost by the deception of human smugglers profiting off the vulnerability of migrants. HSI Buffalo and our partners vigorously pursue justice for the victims who are exploited and endangered by the people whom they are trusting to move them across borders.”
Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia stated: “Effective border security enforcement hinges on tangible penalties for criminal actions. The U.S. Border Patrol continues to enforce the laws of the United States, and this prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office demonstrates that those who violate the law will be held accountable.”
The charges in the complaint and indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
On December 7, 2023, A.V-F.’s relative contacted Uribe-Tobar on TikTok where Uribe-Tobar advertised himself as a smuggler. Uribe-Tobar advised A.V-F.’s relative, “It costs $2500 American, it is worked through Montreal and they are left in the City of Plattsburgh, NY.” A few days later, on December 11, 2023, A.V-F.’s relative sent Uribe-Tobar proof that he had wired $2,500 to Uribe-Tobar. Shortly after receiving that message, Uribe-Tobar traveled with A.V-F. to the immediate area of the United States-Canada border.
At approximately 6:21 that evening, Uribe-Tobar told A.V-F.’s relative, “Friend we are at the river crossing.” At 6:22 p.m., Uribe-Tobar told A.V-F.’s relative, “She is crossing friend” to which her relative replied, “I’m very nervous.” At 7:06 p.m., Uribe-Tobar messaged A.V-F’s relative, “Bro hello, I think she got wet or turned off her cell phone. Bro, I told her to hold it while she was crossing.” Uribe-Tobar followed that message with a screenshot of messages he exchanged with A.V-F., which showed that he had sent her three messages at 6:17 p.m. The screenshot indicates that the last message was never read.
Uribe-Tobar and A.V-F’s relative continued to exchange messages throughout the night of December 11, 2023. Uribe-Tobar claimed that he had people searching for A.V-F. and that “I already sent them a pin to see if they see her, I told them what happened and that she is pregnant.”
On December 12, 2023, A.V-F.’s relative told a Border Patrol Agent in Champlain that she was supposed to illegally enter the United States on December 11, but that he had not heard from her. He reported her last known location as the edge of the Great Chazy River in Champlain, and that the smuggler had told A.V-F. the river was wadable. Multiple law enforcement agencies immediately began to search for A.V-F. On December 14, 2023, they found A.V-F.’s body in the Great Chazy River.
The charges against Uribe-Tobar carry a minimum term of 3 years and a maximum term of life in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
At his initial appearance today in Plattsburgh, Uribe-Tobar was ordered detained pending a trial scheduled before Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd in Utica, New York.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and United States Border Patrol are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Carling Dunham are prosecuting the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs assisted in securing the arrest and extradition of Uribe-Tobar.