Two charged with conspiracy to smuggle immigrants into U.S. via Point Roberts
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Two Canadian residents accused of trying to smuggle Vietnamese citizens into the United States via Point Roberts appeared in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Thursday.
Authorities say Van Phuong Vu, 28, of Vancouver, and Johnny Huynh, 36, of Burnaby, Canada, attempted to bring eight people into the country illegally by flying them from Point Roberts to Bellingham International Airport. They are accused of illegally crossing into Point Roberts from British Columbia, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
U.S. Border patrol learned about a group of people crossing the border between Canada and the small enclave of Point Roberts the morning of May 5. The group of people was crossing the border at the beach. Point Roberts is a peninsula of Whatcom County accessible by land only through Canada. From Point Roberts, the only direct way to the mainland U.S. is via plane or boat.
Later that morning, Border Patrol agents at Bellingham Airport located the group and observed Huynh lead them from a charter flight terminal toward a nearby hotel, where they were intercepted.
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. 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., according to the news release.
The DOJ said 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.
Vu is a Vietnamese citizen who is a lawful permanent resident of Canada. Huynh is a Canadian citizen. They have been charged with conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants for private financial gain. That crime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“I commend the U.S. Border Patrol for their quick and diligent work in this case,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd stated in the news release. “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.”
The case is being investigated by U.S. Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security.