CALGARY — The RCMP says two people were arrested Thursday morning in Montreal as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged human smuggling operation believed to have facilitated illegal border crossings between Canada and the United States.Officers with the Champlain Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) executed a search warrant at a residence in the Montréal-Nord borough, where investigators believe migrants were temporarily housed after entering Canada illegally or concealed while awaiting transport into the United States.The Canadian Press reports Police arrested one alleged smuggler and one migrant during the operation.According to the RCMP, the residence was suspected of serving as a staging location for migrants who had recently crossed the border unlawfully, or as a hiding place before they were smuggled across the Canada-US border.The federal police force said the investigation remains ongoing and did not release further details about the identities of those arrested or potential charges.The operation was conducted by the Champlain IBET, a cross-border enforcement unit focused on combating human smuggling, illegal migration and other transnational criminal activity along the Canada-US border.IBET teams are made up of personnel from the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency, US Customs and Border Protection, and several other American law enforcement agencies.Authorities have not indicated whether additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
