Two Israeli citizens were arrested and charged after an incident at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls at the U.S. border with Canada on Jan. 8. They were named as Israel Enden, 46, and Elazar Wigdorowitz, 33.
Special assistant U.S. attorney Brendan Fitzgerald said Enden told border officers that he was a U.S. citizen living in Israel and that he was heading to New York City “to visit friends and family.”
Enden also stated that the vehicle he was driving was rented by a friend, though no rental agreement was available, according to the complaint.
“Officers noticed multiple pieces of luggage in the back of the vehicle,” the complaint alleged. “As an officer began removing the luggage, she noticed what appeared to be a person’s back. The remaining luggage was removed, and officers discovered defendant Wigdorowitz.”
Prosecutors said Wigdorowitz previously obtained a temporary U.S. visa in 2019. He was refused one in 2023, due to a criminal history in Israel. They noted that he was denied a travel authorization on Jan. 5.
The complaint reported that Wigdorowitz said he was hiding in the back because he wanted to visit his rabbi’s grave in the United States, and that Enden said he “didn’t know Wigdorowitz was in the vehicle.”
Wigdorowitz is charged with improper entry by alien, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison. Enden is charged with bringing in and harboring certain aliens, which carries a maximum penalty of five years.
