Authorities say they are awaiting the results of post-mortem and toxicology tests to determine the cause of death.
Authorities have launched an investigation following the discovery of six bodies in a swampy area of Quebec near the Canadian border with New York state.
Akwesasne Mohawk police said late Thursday they were awaiting the results of autopsy and toxicology tests to determine the cause of death.
They said they were still trying to identify the dead and their status in Canada. It was not immediately known whether they were refugees trying to cross the border.
“The first body was found around 5 p.m. in a swamp area in Tsi Snaihne, Akwesasne, Quebec,” police said in a statement posted on social media. “There is no danger to the public at this time.”
Last month, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police reported a recent increase in undocumented entries through their lands and waterways. According to the statement, some refugees had to be hospitalized.
In January, police noted that people involved in human trafficking had tried to use the banks along the area’s Saint Lawrence River.
Last week, US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a plan to close a loophole in an immigration deal that allowed thousands of asylum seekers to move between the two countries along a byway connecting New York state to Quebec .
The deal to close an illegal border crossing about 105 km (66 mi) east of Akwesasne went into effect on Saturday.