THE federal court has scheduled the jury trial of Zhongli Pang for April 8, 2025, at 10 a.m., after he pled not guilty to charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and making a false statement.
According to the prosecution, Pang purchased a boat to transport illegal aliens to Guam.
At the arraignment before Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI, Pang was represented by attorney Robert Torres, who waived both the reading of the charges and the defendant’s rights and entered a plea of not guilty.
For his part, the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O’Malley, told the court that China’s embassy had been notified of Pang’s arrest.
O’Malley also filed a motion for an order of detention against Pang.
After the hearing, Pang was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Judge Manglona scheduled a detention hearing today, Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 1:30 p.m. before Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy.
The complaint
According to the criminal complaint filed by Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Ha Noul Lee against Pang, on June 15, 2024, HSI Saipan received information from the local police about a vessel collision at Smiling Cove Marina where all four occupants of one of the vessels were identified as Chinese nationals.
The CNMI Department of Public Safety determined that the vessel involved was named “Helen,” which was operated and recently purchased by Pang, the special agent said.
On June 20, 2024, HSI Saipan received information from DPS Tinian that “Helen” departed the Tinian dock and was possibly heading to Saipan.
“This suggested that Pang could be making a practice run with the vessel,” Lee said.
HSI Saipan, DPS Saipan, and CNMI Customs and Biosecurity personnel encountered the vessel “Helen” at Smiling Cove Marina with four individuals on board.
“Two of the four had CNMI driver’s licenses; one was Pang, the other was a Chinese national who is a green-card holder. The other two passengers are without immigration status,” Lee said.
HSI conducted an interview with Pang and reminded him that making false statements to federal officers is a crime.
According to Lee, Pang admitted that he had no legal immigration status and had purchased “Helen” to start a fishing business. He said he had no intention to take the boat to Guam and did not know the other Chinese nationals on the vessel.
On June 23, 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued 13 Chinese nationals stranded on a disabled boat off the shore of Guam. A records check in the Department of Homeland Security database identified the individuals as Chinese citizens who had entered the U.S. through the CNMI. None of them held immigration statuses that would permit legal entry into Guam.
Lee said that on the same day, HSI Guam conducted an interview with Dongmei Shao, one of the 13 individuals rescued from the vessel “Helen.” Shao admitted paying $3,500 to “Captain Pang” for transportation from Saipan to Guam, and that her intent was to live and work in Guam, Lee said.
In a separate interview, Pang admitted that he lied to HSI Saipan investigators on June 20, 2024, when he claimed that he did not intend to use the vessel to go to Guam.
Pang also said that six Chinese individuals purchased the vessel “Helen,” and he did not contribute any money for the purchase.
Pang likewise admitted that he operated the vessel “Helen” to transport himself and the other Chinese nationals from Saipan to Guam.
Lee said Pang intends to live and work in Guam and told the HSI special agent that he used “WeChat” messages to communicate with the other passengers.
Pang was arrested in Guam on Jan. 27, 2025.