Charges filed vs 6 aliens recruited in China and promised work

The U.S. government filed in federal court yesterday improper entry charges against six persons who were allegedly recruited in China and promised work in the CNMI while paroled in as tourists.

Charged in the information are four males—Cuilan Ma, Chunping Li, Lifei Bian, and Shoujun Yin—and two males—Zhongjun Yu and Zhipeng Ren.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk W. Schuler stated in the information that on May 30, 2011, the six Chinese nationals entered the CNMI by telling an immigration officer at the Francisco C. Ada-Saipan International Airport that they were coming to the Commonwealth as tourists and not to work, when in fact, they intended to work.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent Isra D. Harahap stated in his affidavit that on May 27, 2011, a cooperating source (CS) informed him and a Homeland Security Investigations special agent that the CS had been communicating with a Chinese national named Ms. Honglian Cheng on “QQ,” a free instant messaging service based in China, in order to bring in several Chinese nationals to work in the CNMI.

Harahap said according to the translations of the QQ conversations, Cheng planned to bring several Chinese nationals to the CNMI as tourists to work and that she wanted the CS’ help once they arrived on Saipan.

Cheng agreed to pay the CS $1,000 for booking a hotel room on Saipan and renting a vehicle to transport her and the Chinese nationals from the airport to the hotel.

The original plan was to bring in eight Chinese nationals, but only six arrived. Cheng allegedly made plans with the CS for the females to work in a bar and for the males to work on a farm.

Harahap said the six paid about 30,000 RMB or $4,600 each to be brought to the CNMI in order to work.

Harahap said during their surveillance, it showed that Cheng and Ms. Li Hua arrived together with the six defendants at Saipan airport in the early morning of May 30, 2011.

Hua and the six persons stated that they planned to stay on Saipan for seven days as tourists. Cheng identified herself as the tour group leader for the other seven.

The immigration officers allowed the eight to be paroled in the CNMI until June 15, 2011.

The agent learned that Hua was responsible for recruiting the six persons in China, while Cheng was responsible for bringing the six to Saipan.

ICE agents recently arrested Hua for encouraging the six aliens to come to the CNMI to unlawfully work while paroled in as tourists, while Cheng was also apprehended on the same charges involving two other Chinese nationals—Guoquan Liu and Qiang Zhou.