Chinese farmer says he entered Saipan as tourist with only $200 in his pocket

A farmer ended up as a freelance illegal taxi driver in the CNMI after he was allegedly recruited in China and entered the CNMI last year as a tourist.

Jun Yang, 34, said he only had $200 cash when he landed on Saipan.

Yang told investigators of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations that he paid a person named Brother Qiang in China 35,000 RMB or $5,000 on a promise of a job on Saipan.

He said Qiang traveled with him to Saipan but never showed up in his hotel room once they arrived on the island on May 4, 2017.

Yang allegedly gave the statement after HSI agents arrested him last Wednesday on charges of lying to a government agency and improper entry into the U.S.

Yang was taken before U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona Friday afternoon for an appearance hearing. Colin Thompson appeared as his court-appointed counsel. Assistant U.S. attorney Garth Backe sought to have Yang detained pending trial.

Manglona set the detention hearing for Oct. 3 at 9am and the preliminary hearing for Oct. 10 at 9am.

After the hearing, Yang was remanded to the U.S Marshal.

In his affidavit in support of a criminal complaint, HSI special agent Michael D. Lansangan disclosed that HSI personnel assisted a U.S. Federal Protective Service inspector during a routine traffic stop outside the Marina Heights II Building in Puerto Rico last Wednesday.

Lansangan said the HSI agents encountered Yang, who admitted to entering the CNMI as a tourist with the intention of working on Saipan.

While the FPS inspector was conducting his traffic stop, Lansangan did a database check to determine Yang’s immigration status. Results indicated that Yang entered the CNMI on a CNMI-only conditional parole on May 4, 2017, and was authorized to remain only until May 13, 2017.

During their interview at HSI office, Yang allegedly stated that he used to work as a farmer in Harbin, Heilongjian Province, China for 10 years before coming to Saipan.

A few weeks before he traveled to Saipan, Yang met Qiang, who told him about working on Saipan.

Qiang allegedly told Yang that jobs are plentiful on Saipan and that he could easily get one that pays between 10,000 and 20,000 RMB per month.

Yang said Qiang also stated he could obtain legal status for him to work on Saipan when he arrives.

Yang said he paid Qiang in China a total of 35,000 RMB for assistance in finding a job on Saipan and obtaining a work permit.

Qiang arranged Yang’s ticket and hotel stay on Saipan. He also helped Yang apply for a Chinese passport.

Yang said he and Qiang traveled to Saipan together on the same flight.

Yang acknowledged that he had a round-trip ticket to Saipan for about four days, and a hotel reservation in Garapan for three nights.

Yang stated that Qiang instructed him not to say too much to immigration officers on Saipan.

He said Qiang told him to only tell the immigration officers that his purpose for visiting Saipan was tourism. Yang stated that after exiting the airport, Qiang directed him to one of tour buses that would take him to his hotel. Qiang did not take the bus himself but told Yang he would meet him at the hotel.

Yang stated that he waited at the hotel for three days, but Qiang never showed up.