Canadian Man Furious After U.S. Coast Guard Cross 'Border' To Arrest Him
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Quebec man says he was wrongfully detained and humiliated by the U.S. Coast Guard after an encounter on Lake Champlain led to his boat capsizing and a brief stint in an American jail cell.
Newsweek contacted the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for comment via email on Friday.
Why It Matters
The detention of 60-year-old Edouard Lallemand has prompted outrage from him and his wife and raised questions about enforcement on shared waterways, also highlighting how routine recreational activities near international borders can escalate unexpectedly.
What to Know
Lallemand said he had borrowed a friend's boat and was fishing near Venise-en-Québec, located about 15 kilometres north of the U.S. border at the northern end of Lake Champlain, which links the U.S. and Canada, CTV News reported.
A lifelong fisherman, he insists he was within Canadian waters when U.S. Coast Guard officers approached him and instructed him to shut off his engine, which he said he did.
A United States Coast Guard logo is displayed on a rescue boat on September 28, 2024 in San Diego, California.
A United States Coast Guard logo is displayed on a rescue boat on September 28, 2024 in San Diego, California.According to Lallemand, the three officers then told him he had crossed into American waters. He denied this, saying he has fished in that area for years.
According to his account, as per CTV News, a visibly emotional Lallemand said he told the officers, "No, I'm very sorry, I'm in Canada. I'm polite enough to talk to you guys but you cannot arrest me. 'You can't come across the border and pick me up.' But they did," he said.
Lallemand said he restarted his engine and suggested continuing the conversation with the officers near the shore. However, the Coast Guard followed him and attempted to steer him into U.S. waters, which he claims led his boat to capsize.
Speaking to CTV News, he appeared to be angry and shocked about what happened, saying that he fell into the water and was "drowning" before eventually being pulled out by the officers, who he said were not taking care of him.
Quebec man warning Canadian boaters after he was detained by U.S. Coast guard, put in jail cell https://t.co/qqRGAwEuuf — CTV News (@CTVNews) July 24, 2025
"The first time I went down, coming up with water in my mouth, spitting it out, I said 'throw me a buoy!'" he said.
He was then handcuffed, processed, and turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where he says officers fingerprinted him, placed him in a jail cell while he was still soaked, and gave him what he described as a "dirty" blanket.
Lallemand is reported to have been held in a jail cell for nearly two hours before being released.
His wife, Darlene Fielding, said, as per CTV News, "we treat our pets better than they treated him," adding that upon her husband's return, he was "like a beaten man."
Customs regulations on Lake Champlain involve specific reporting requirements for boaters, especially those crossing the border, and potential enforcement actions for violations. CBP has designated reporting locations and procedures, including the possibility of phone-in reporting, to facilitate border crossings while ensuring compliance.
The Coast Guard maintains that Lallemand was approximately 65 yards inside U.S. waters and struck their vessel while attempting to flee, leading to the capsize.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Coast Guard, in a statement to CTV News: "While the Coast Guard's 29-ft response small-boat was alongside the vessel, the operator put the vessel in motion and ignored commands to maintain course and speed for boarding purposes. The vessel then made an abrupt starboard turn and struck the port bow of the Coast Guard small-boat at coordinates 45°00.792'N, 073°10.608'W, approximately 65 yards south of the U.S./Canadian border. The collision caused the vessel to capsize, putting the operator in the water."
What Happens Next
Lallemand said he would like an apology from the U.S. Coast Guard and has warned other Canadian boaters to stay away from the border.
The U.S. Coast Guard has said that "the actions of the operator of the Canadian vessel are currently under investigation."
The incident will likely lead to calls for clearer agreements on maritime enforcement and cooperation along the U.S.-Canada border, with officials possibly looking into better GPS boundary marking and improved communication procedures to prevent future confrontations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
An ex-NFL player has been convicted in a dogfighting case. A record number of dogs were taken from him
A former NFL player has been convicted for running an operation that bred and trafficked 'grand champion' dogs and their offspring for dogfighting, the Department of Justice said. LeShon Johnson, 54, a former running back for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants, was convicted by a federal jury in Oklahoma on six felony counts of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act's prohibitions against 'possessing, selling, transporting, and delivering animals to be used in fighting ventures,' the department said. Following the verdict, the ex-NFLer surrendered 190 dogs from his 'Mal Kant Kennels,' the largest number ever seized from a single person in a federal dogfighting case, officials said. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. 'My client respects the verdict,' defense attorney Courtney Jordan told CNN, noting Johnson was convicted of only six of 23 counts. He was acquitted on 17 counts of possessing a dog for use in an animal fighting venture, court records show. 'The jury saw there is more to this story than what the government has made it out to be. He is a family man, a good person who loves his dogs. He was never involved in dogfighting himself, per se,' Jordan said. Johnson's conviction recalls the 2007 federal case against then-NFL quarterback Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy involving illegal dogfighting. Admitting he participated in killing dogs and ran a business that involved illegal gambling, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison. After his 2009 release, he advocated against dogfighting, returned to the NFL and now coaches a college team. While dogfighting is a felony in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, more than 40,000 people participate in enterprises that breed, condition and train dogs to be 'placed in a pit to fight each other for spectator entertainment and profit,' the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals say. In Johnson's case, 'the American government is really after the American pit bull terrier, and that's what LeShon Johnson was breading,' his lawyer said. The breed is 'the dog of choice' for fighting in the United States, according to the ASPCA. Johnson had a 2004 state conviction for dogfighting, the Justice Department said. In the federal case against him, Johnson bred and trafficked 'fighting dogs' and their puppies for dogfighting, 'profiting from the cruel and illegal industry,' evidence presented to the jury showed. 'This criminal profited off of the misery of innocent animals and he will face severe consequences for his vile crimes,' Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. 'This case underscores the Department of Justice's commitment to protecting animals from abuse – 190 dogs are now safe thanks to outstanding collaborative work by our attorneys and law enforcement components.' The federal government is pursuing the forfeiture of the dogs, after which the US Marshals Service would care for them, the department said.
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Coast Guard report: OceanGate Titan implosion was 'preventable'
Rear Admiral John W. Mauger of the Coast Guard briefs the media on the search for the Titan submersible in 2023. The Coast Guard released its findings Tuesday, saying the implosion that killed five people was preventable. File photo by C.J. Gunther/EPA Aug. 5 (UPI) -- The implosion of the OceanGate submersible Titan in 2023 was "preventable," because of its inadequate design and "toxic" workplace culture, according to a report released by the U.S. Coast Guard Tuesday. The Titan imploded on June 18, 2023, killing five people. The 335-page report documented the causes of the implosion and listed 17 safety recommendations to strengthen oversight of submersible operations, improve coordination among federal agencies and close gaps in international maritime policy. All five on the submersible were killed in the implosion. They were OceanGate's founder and CEO, Stockton Rush; British billionaire Hamish Harding; French maritime expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood. "The two-year investigation has identified multiple contributing factors that led to this tragedy, providing valuable lessons learned to prevent a future occurrence," said Jason Neubauer, chair of the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation for the Titan. "There is a need for stronger oversight and clear options for operators who are exploring new concepts outside of the existing regulatory framework. I am optimistic the [Report of Investigation's] findings and recommendations will help improve awareness of the risks and the importance of proper oversight while still providing a pathway for innovation." Titan's imploded wreckage was found on the ocean floor about 1,640 feet off the bow of the Titanic. The Coast Guard conducted hearings last year to hear testimony from OceanGate employees and others involved in the dive. OceanGate operations director David Lochridge testified about the business climate at the company and about what he said was Rush's penchant for playing fast and loose with the rules. Lochridge told the panel that the company's goal was to turn a profit, that OceanGate ignored obvious safety issues, and that "very little" science was involved in carrying out the sub's dives. OceanGate's former engineering director, Tony Nissen, testified that he was fired because he refused to approve a planned expedition after the submersible was struck by lightning, which compromised its experimental carbon fiber hull. "Stockton [Rush] would fight for what he wanted and, even if it changed from day to day, he wouldn't give an inch. Most people would eventually back down to Stockton. It was death by a thousand cuts," he testified. The 21-foot Titan submersible lost contact with the crew of the Polar Prince about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive on June 18, 2023. Responders scoured the North Atlantic Ocean, near the wreckage of the Titanic passenger liner that sank in 1912, to find the missing vessel before its oxygen ran out. The Coast Guard said in September 2024 that the Titan crew sent a message during the fateful dive that "all is well" just before the deadly implosion. It was the final communication from the Titan before the implosion. Neubauer's listed extensive causes of the disaster and recommendations for future vessels. "The board determined the primary contributing factors were OceanGate's inadequate design, certification, maintenance and inspection process for the Titan," Neubauer said in the press release announcing the report. "Other factors cited in the report include a toxic workplace culture at OceanGate, an inadequate domestic and international regulatory framework for submersible operations and vessels of novel design, and an ineffective whistleblower process under the Seaman's Protection Act. "The board also found OceanGate failed to properly investigate and address known hull anomalies following its 2022 Titanic expedition. Investigators determined the Titan's real-time monitoring system generated data that should have been analyzed and acted on during the 2022 Titanic expedition. However, OceanGate did not take any action related to the data, conduct any preventative maintenance or properly store the Titan during the extended off season before its 2023 Titanic expedition." He went on to list recommendations for further dives, including restrictions on oceanographic research vessels, expanding requirements to all submersibles and requiring Coast Guard documentation for all U.S. submersibles. Neubauer also recommended "adding Coast Guard personnel capacity at Coast Guard Headquarters to support new construction oversight and field inspections involving submersibles and vessels of novel design." Other recommendations include submitting Coast Guard search and rescue plans, safety requirements, whistleblower agreements and investigative protocols. In August 2024, Paul Henry Nargeolet's family filed suit demanding OceanGate to pay $50 million for the explorer's wrongful death. The family's lawsuit filed in a court in Seattle accuses OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and others of gross negligence and wrongful death.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Titan submersible disaster that killed 5 on way to Titanic was preventable, Coast Guard says
PORTLAND, Maine — The deadly Titan submersible disaster that raised global alarms about private deep-sea tourism was the result of preventable safety failures and deliberate efforts to avoid oversight, according to a U.S. Coast Guard report released Tuesday. All five people inside the Titan died in a catastrophic implosion as it descended to the wreck of the Titanic off Canada, and the dayslong search for the missing vessel grabbed international headlines. The Coast Guard convened its highest level of investigation in the aftermath. The Titan was owned by OceanGate, a private company based in Washington state. The operator of the submersible, OceanGate head Stockton Rush, died in the implosion. The report found the company's safety procedures were 'critically flawed,' citing 'glaring disparities' between their safety protocols and actual practices. The disaster has led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of the developing private deep sea expedition industry. Jason Neubauer, with the Marine Board of Investigation, said that the findings will help prevent future tragedies. 'There is a need for stronger oversight and clear options for operators who are exploring new concepts outside of the existing regulatory framework,' he said in a statement. OceanGate suspended operations in July 2023. A spokesperson for the company said it has been wound down and was fully cooperating with the investigation. 'We again offer our deepest condolences to the families of those who died on June 18, 2023, and to all those impacted by the tragedy,' said the spokesperson, Christian Hammond. Throughout the report, which spans more than 300 pages, investigators repeatedly point to OceanGate's culture of downplaying, ignoring and even falsifying key safety information to improve its reputation and evade scrutiny from regulators. OceanGate ignored 'red flags' and had a 'toxic workplace culture,' while its mission was hindered by lack of domestic and international framework for submersible operations, the report says. Numerous OceanGate employees have come forward in the two years since the implosion to support those claims. The report says firings of senior staff members and the looming threat of being fired were used to dissuade employees and contractors from expressing safety concerns. 'By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion and oversight challenges, OceanGate was ultimately able to operate TITAN completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols,' the report found. Investigators found that the submersible's design, certification, maintenance and inspection process were all inadequate. Coast Guard officials noted at the start of last year's hearing that the submersible had not been independently reviewed, as is standard practice. Mounting financial pressures in 2023 led to a decision by OceanGate to store the Titan submersible outdoors over the Canadian winter, where its hull was exposed to temperature fluctuations that compromised the integrity of the vessel, the report said. The Marine Board concluded that Rush, OceanGate's CEO, 'exhibited negligence' that contributed to the deaths of four people. If Rush had survived, the case would have been handed off to the U.S. Department of Justice and he may have been subject to criminal charges, the board said. The Marine Board said one challenge of the investigation was that 'significant amounts' of video footage evidence that had been captured by witnesses was not subject to its subpoena authority because the witnesses weren't U.S. citizens. In addition to Rush, the implosion killed French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British adventurer Hamish Harding and two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood. The family of Nargeolet, a veteran French undersea explorer known as 'Mr. Titanic,' filed a more than $50 million lawsuit last year that said the crew experienced 'terror and mental anguish' before the disaster. The lawsuit accused OceanGate of gross negligence. Titan had been making voyages to the Titanic site since 2021. The Titan's final dive came on June 18, 2023, a Sunday morning when the submersible would lose contact with its support vessel about two hours later. The submersible was reported overdue that afternoon, and ships, planes and equipment were rushed to the scene about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's, Newfoundland. Wreckage of the Titan would subsequently be found on the ocean floor about 330 yards (300 meters) off the bow of the Titanic, Coast Guard officials said. The Marine Board of Investigation held several days of hearings about the implosion in October 2024. During those hearings, the lead engineer of the submersible said he felt pressured to get the vessel ready to dive and refused to pilot it for a journey several years earlier. Tony Nissen told the board that he had told Rush: 'I'm not getting in it.' Whittle writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, R.I., and Leah Willingham in Boston contributed to this report.
