Four individuals face charges after the discovery of 44 people inside a truck near the U.S. border.
In a significant development, four individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with a human smuggling operation near Quebec's border with the United States. The charges were announced on Aug. 4, 2025.
The four men are identified as Tolga Yilmaz (34), Ogulcan Mersin (25), Dogan Alakus (31), and Firat Yuksek (31). Yilmaz was arrested on Aug. 8 at Montreal Trudeau Airport, while the other three were charged on Aug. 4.
The arrests and charges follow the discovery of 44 migrants, mostly Haitian, packed in a cube truck near Stanstead, Que. on Aug. 3. The migrants, which included a pregnant woman and children as young as four, had crossed the border on foot and walked for two hours before being picked up. Despite the poor conditions they were found in, they were not seriously hurt.
Tolga Yilmaz, along with the other three men, has been charged with aiding or abetting someone to commit an offence under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The charges against Yilmaz are related to the illegal entry into Canada of 44 people on Aug. 3.
Two other individuals were charged in the Valleyfield region, southwest of Montreal, for attempting to smuggle 11 foreign nationals on Sunday. The investigation into the human smuggling operation is ongoing, with further charges possible.
The cube van was stopped by police on Aug. 3 at around 2:20 a.m., following a tip from U.S. counterparts about a group of migrants planning to cross the border. The RCMP and CBSA are working together to crack down on illegal crossings. Investigations are underway to establish links between the recent human smuggling events and these individuals.
A 25 and 27-year-old man appeared in connection with the case by video. The next court appearance for the four men is scheduled for Aug. 28.
The report was first published by The Canadian Press on Aug. 12, 2025.
[1] The Canadian Press. (2025, Aug. 12). Four men charged in human smuggling operation near Quebec-US border. Retrieved from [URL] [2] The Canadian Press. (2025, Aug. 4). Three men charged in human smuggling operation near Quebec-US border. Retrieved from [URL] [3] The Canadian Press. (2025, Aug. 9). Tolga Yilmaz charged in human smuggling operation near Quebec-US border. Retrieved from [URL] [4] The Canadian Press. (2025, Aug. 10). Two more charged in human smuggling operation near Quebec-US border. Retrieved from [URL]
- Despite the ongoing investigation, general-news outlets reported a surge in weather-related speculation, with many suggesting that the high temperatures and precipitation patterns might have encouraged these migrants to risk the dangerous journey.
- As the court proceedings for crime-and-justice matters such as the human smuggling operation continue, political leaders have begun expressing concern about the intersection of immigration policies and the nation's political landscape, sparking debates and potential policy changes.
