Two B.C. men appeared in U.S. District Court in Tacoma Wednesday afternoon after being charged with smuggling Vietnamese citizens from Canada into the U.S.
Van Phuong Vu, 28, of Vancouver, and Johnny Huynh, 36, of Burnaby are charged with conspiracy to transport certain aliens for private financial gain.
The two men were arrested near the Bellingham Airport last week with eight Vietnamese nationals who had illegally crossed into the U.S. from Canada on Point Roberts. The eight were then flown from Point Roberts to Bellingham.
“I commend the U.S. Border Patrol for their quick and diligent work in this case,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “An early morning alert of border crossing at the beach led to the apprehension of eight illegal aliens and charges against those who sought to profit from the smuggling event.”
On May 5, at approximately 8:30 a.m., U.S. Border patrol was made aware of people crossing the border between Canada and the small area of Point Roberts.
The group of people was crossing the border at the beach.
Around 10 a.m., Border Patrol Agents at Bellingham Airport found the group of people that they suspected crossed the border at Point Roberts.
They observed the group, accompanied by Huynh, exit the charter flight terminal and walk toward a nearby hotel. They were intercepted by Border Patrol Agents there.
Border Patrol Agents learned that a second flight with additional travelers accompanied by Vu would be arriving soon and later intercepted that group near the airport.
Border Patrol Agents ultimately determined a total of eight Vietnamese nationals had entered the U.S.
Some of the Vietnamese nationals told law enforcement they had agreed to pay between $13,000 and $15,000 to be smuggled into the U.S.
Vu, a Vietnamese citizen who is a lawful permanent resident of Canada, and Huynh, a Canadian citizen, are charged with the scheme to smuggle the aliens into the U.S.
Some of the Vietnamese nationals communicated with the smuggling group via social media and were instructed to pay the smuggling fees when they arrived at their final destinations in the U.S., including New York or Tennessee.
Conspiracy to transport certain aliens for private financial gain is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations.