8 bodies found near US-Canada border

(CNN) — Canadian police said Friday they recovered eight bodies in Akwesasne, the territory of the Mohawk Nation that straddles the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario along the banks of the St. Lawrence River.

Authorities said all the people were attempting to enter the US illegally from Canada and there is no threat to the public.

Six bodies were initially discovered in Akwesasne waters during a Canadian Coast Guard aerial search for a missing person named Casey Oakes Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from the Akwesasne Mohaw Police Service.

The bodies are six adults and two children: one under the age of 3 who had a Canadian passport, the other a baby who was also a Canadian citizen, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Chief Shawn Dulude said Friday at a news conference, according to CBC.

They are believed to be a Romanian family and an Indian family, according to police.

Police and Immigration Canada are also working to contact the relatives, AMP Deputy Chief LeeAnn O’Brien said during a press conference on Friday.

Authorities continue to search for Oakes, but have not confirmed if the two situations are related, according to a statement.

There have been 48 separate incidents of people trying to cross the border since January, O’Brien added.

CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Amanda Jackson and Jennifer Henderson contributed to this report.