BELLINGHAM — Multiple federal agencies are investigating the death of a noncitizen near the Canadian border as part of a human smuggling operation.
A man’s body was discovered in Ferndale near the BNSF Railway tracks on June 20, according to a June 26 news release from the Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. Border Patrol, and Customs and Border Protection also are working on the investigation.
The man has been identified as Chayane Silva-Perez, 23, of Mexico. Authorities determined his cause of death to be multiple blunt impact injuries. The incident has been ruled an accident, according to Deborah Hollis with the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“The death in Ferndale is a tragic reminder of the dangers associated with human smuggling,” special agent in charge Robert Hammer said in the release. Hammer oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “These illicit activities not only jeopardize the lives of those being smuggled but also pose significant risks to our communities.”
