A Michigan man has been charged with allegedly helping illegally smuggle people into the United States from Canada through a home in Algonac.
According to a criminal complaint filed this month in federal court, Darnell Gordon was arrested on Jan. 10 after federal agents found him with a Brazilian man who allegedly came here from Canada.
After an investigation, the feds say that Gordon helped smuggle people from Canada to the U.S. and from the U.S. to Canada illegally through a home located along the St. Clair River in Algonac.
Gordon was questioned and admitted he knew that the man entered the U.S. illegally. He allegedly told agents that he picked up other illegal immigrants on five different occasions since January 2022 and had also dropped people off to be smuggled into Canada.
Agents say Gordon told them he got paid between $50 and $400 and it varied each time.
The home, located at 1516 St. Clair River Dr., is directly across Walpole Island, Canada and is on the St. Clair River.
According to the feds, they saw Gordon driving his car on Jan. 9 and agents knew he had previously been involved in helping smuggle illegal immigrants.
In that instance from June 2022, the feds say Gordon was encountered with a Peruvian national who admitted to trying to cross illegally into Canada to be with his family.
On Jan. 9, the feds say they saw Gordon with a female in the passenger seat, and then he parked the car at the home.
Then, around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 9, they saw the driver who they believe was Gordon get out at the home with a passenger and enter the house.
Around 6:20 a.m. on Jan. 10, agents say they observed a vessel with three people going north in the St. Clair River and going from Canadian waters to U.S. waters and continuing toward the shoreline, just south of the home. Then, the boat left, and the agent saw movement in the house.
About an hour and a half later, the feds say they saw a Kia sedan arrive at the home, the driver was later determined to be Gordon. About five minutes later, they saw Gordon and another person leave he house and get in the vehicle.
Agents pulled them over shortly after, and Gordon told them he was picking up a friend.
On Jan. 9, Gordon said he dropped off a man, and that man and woman were smuggled into Canada on the same boat that brought the Brazilian man to the U.S.
The Brazilian man told agents he was trying to get to Massachusetts to be with his wife and daughter.
Gordon has been charged with two counts – one count of transporting illegal aliens and one count of harboring illegal aliens.
