U.S. Homeland Security Investigations on Wednesday, Sept. 13, arrested 14 Chinese nationals after they paid an undercover agent who was posing as a boat captain to transport them to Guam illegally.
Eleven of the 14 entered the CNMI at various times and all have overstayed their legal status in the U.S., according to special agent Meilani L. Quintanilla’s complaint and affidavit filed in federal court on Friday.
Quintanilla said, “I know from my training, knowledge, and experience that noncitizens will pay smugglers to be transported between borders. I know from my experience that noncitizens have paid between $3,000 and $5,000 cash to be smuggled from the NMI to Guam. I know from my experience that noncitizens seek to enter Guam for higher wages compared to the NMI. I know from my experience that noncitizens often enter the NMI with the intention to overstay their legal immigration status. I know from my experience that noncitizens often have bulk cash.”
Each of the 14 defendants were charged with “engaging in a conspiracy [to transport, move, or attempt to transport or move] an alien within the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the alien came to, entered, and remained in the United States in violation of law.”
Donglin Xu, Qin Chen, Hongmei Ding, Fuquan Miao, Qing Jiang Li, Ziyou Xu, Qingjun Chen, Huipin Shangguan and Xiping Gao appeared with their court-appointed attorneys before Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI on Sept. 15, Friday.
Judge Manglona scheduled a detention hearing for Sept. 20 at 10 a.m., and a preliminary hearing for Sept. 29 at 9 a.m.
Defendants Yuxing Lin, Bin Weng, Lu Xu, and Xiangke Zhang and Rui Wang are scheduled to appear in federal court today, Monday at 10:30 a.m.
Undercover agent
According to special agent Quintanilla, it was Donglin Xu, aka “Tony,” who told an HSI informer that he was looking for a boat captain on Saipan willing to be paid to take approximately nine people to Guam.
Quintanilla said Xu communicated with an undercover agent of HSI who was posing as a Guam resident boat captain.
In a WhatsApp communication message, Xu told the undercover agent that he and his two friends who worked in construction wanted to go Guam to find a job, Quintanilla said.
The following are some of Xu’s messages to the undercover agent:
“I need your help to transport me and two friends to Guam.”
“If you can meet the above requirements, l am willing to pay 3,000 US dollars for the boat ticket each, and additionally pick up our friends in Rota or Saipan, and each of us will pay him 500 dollars for the fare.”
“If you would like to help us. We need to go to Rota to wait for you, but we have no friends in Rota, and we are not familiar with the environment of Rota. We need you to find a friend who will pick us up at Rota Airport and wait for you to pick us up at the place you designated, until boarding your ship. You can also find a reliable friend in Saipan to go to Rota with us to wait for you.”
“If possible, we need you to choose a remote and uninhabited coast in Guam for us to go ashore. Don’t let DHS see us. This saves you and your friend’s trouble. And we don’t want the media to report on our affairs, so as to avoid becoming a well-known news event. Because after we successfully arrive in Guam, we will choose an appropriate time to register with the Department of Homeland Security.
“The specific date and time of our coming to Guam is up to you to decide, we will cooperate with you, you just need to tell us one day in advance.”
“If you can successfully help us reach Guam smoothly, we still have many friends in Saipan who need your help, and they all need to go to Guam to find a job. In this way, you will definitely get a lot of ‘joy’ in the future!”
Electronically recorded
In a monitored and electronically recorded in-person meeting, Xu told the undercover agent that “12 people (10 males and 2 females) wanted to be transported to Guam by boat and they would be willing to pay $3,000 per person.”
Xu stated that he was aware that the transportation of people to Guam would be illegal. He offered $6,000 to the undercover agent as a down payment to rent the boat and the rest to be paid when the trip was made.
“Donglin Xu asserted that each of the passengers would be able to pay the $3,000 for travel to Guam; however, Xu opposed having the passengers meet with the undercover boat captain agent before the trip.”
The undercover agent requested Xu to provide the names and ages of the passengers to be used as a charter manifest.
The undercover agent provided Xu with a blank charter float plan for a fictitious fishing charter business so Xu would provide the names of the passengers.
The undercover agent also requested proof that the other passengers would be able to pay for the trip.
Names
The following names and information were provided by Xu to the undercover agent:
1) Miao, Fu Quan, 33, male
2) Zhang, Xiang Ke, 50, male
3) Li, Qin Jiang, 50, male
4) Xu, Zi You, 59, male
5) Chen, Qin Jun, 48, male
6) Chen, Qin, 40, male
7) Xu, Lu, 39, male
8) Shang, Guan Hui Pin, 40, female
9) Wang, Rui, 53, male
10) Gao, Xi Pin, 43, female
11) Xu, Dong Lin, 49, male
12) Din, Hong Mei, 49, female
13) Lin, Yu Xin, 51, male
14) Weng, Bin, 51, male.
The undercover agent informed Xu that a vessel would available to leave on Sept. 13, 2023, at 4 a.m. under the guise of a fishing charter.
Xu requested for the vessel to depart before sunrise. He said the passengers were ready for travel, and had beach clothing.
Xu inquired if there were security guards at the marina that might stop them.
Xu stated that when they land in Guam, the passengers would want to get out of the area as soon as possible.
Xu said if law enforcement was encountered during the trip, the passengers would not react or speak, and just smile.
Xu stated that the money would be shown to the undercover agent before the vessel was launched, but the money would not be handed over until the vessel passed Rota.
Xu offered to pay $6,000 cash to the undercover agent as down payment for the trip.
Xu handed the undercover boat captain an envelope with $6,000 cash in $100 and $50 bills.
Xu also requested for the vessel not to travel on the west side of Saipan due to law enforcement interception.
Enforcement operation
On Sept. 13, HSI agents conducted an enforcement operation with local and federal enforcement partners at Smiling Cove Marina on Saipan.
At approximately 3:56 a.m., HSI personnel and partners observed Xu’s vehicle, followed by two other vehicles entering the Smiling Cove Marina area. Fourteen individuals were observed exiting from three vehicles. Multiple individuals were observed putting on lifejackets near the vehicles. Two of the vehicles were observed departing the Smiling Cove area. Xu’s vehicle remained parked in the Smiling Cove area. Xu later stated that his wife was going to pick up the vehicle at a later time.
All 14 individuals boarded a vessel that was leased by and under direct HSI control. The undercover agent — the “boat captain” — conducted a roll call of each individual listed on the charter float plan previously provided by Xu.
The “boat captain” then requested for each individual to present proof of payment for the trip.
Each individual presented a bundle of what appeared to be currency when the undercover agent called their names.
All passengers affirmed that they did not want to be detected by law enforcement officials during the trip.
All passengers also affirmed that they were willing and ready to go to Guam and refused the undercover boat captain’s offer to get off the vessel if they did not want to make the trip.
HSI personnel and law enforcement partners subsequently encountered and apprehended the 14 individuals.
