Chinese National Sentenced for Conspiracy to Smuggle Illegal Immigrants to Guam Amid Missile Tests
A group of Chinese youths is reported to have coordinated an effort to illegally transport seven Chinese nationals to the U.S. territory by boat.
Kangle Jiang, 22, was convicted of conspiring to transport illegal immigrants and for plotting to defraud the United States, the statement noted.
The court also mandated Jiang to undergo one year of supervised release, fulfill 50 hours of community service, and pay a $100 special assessment fee.
As per an indictment, on or around December 10, 2024, Jiang teamed up with four others to smuggle himself and seven other Chinese nationals from Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, to Guam by boat.
The group aimed to evade law enforcement detection, according to the indictment.
The indictment further revealed that Jiang, who had only been in the Northern Mariana Islands since October 31 of the previous year, paid $6,000 for this illicit journey from Saipan to Guam.
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As the vessel with Jiang and the other Chinese nationals approached Guam, its crew resorted to pushing and threatening passengers, compelling them to jump overboard, even as some could not swim, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Law enforcement later located numerous passengers from this illegal boat trip in or around sensitive military sites.
The indictment outlined that the aim of this unlawful voyage was to “directly and substantially enable Defendants to prolong their unlawful presence in the United States by moving from Saipan, where low wages and job scarcity hampered their continued unlawful stay, to Guam, where better wages, increased job opportunities, and a decreased risk of detection made their unlawful presence easier.”
The Missile Defense Agency reported that a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA was launched from the Aegis Guam System and successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target.
According to the Missile Defense Agency, the Aegis Guam System was integrated with a new AN/TPY-6 radar and a vertical launching system for this test.
Attorney Shawn N. Anderson stated that Jiang “exploited special federal immigration rules that allow certain foreign nationals to enter the [Northern Mariana Islands] as tourists.”
He emphasized that any local economic gains from these provisions are nullified when individuals then attempt to illegally enter other parts of the United States.
“The defendant and his conspirators exposed themselves and others to significant risks of harm due to the nature of their maritime journey,” Anderson noted. “Our enforcement strategies will continue to prioritize safety, deterrence, and upholding the integrity of our immigration system in the Western Pacific.”
The Epoch Times has reached out to Jiang’s lawyer for further remarks.
Catherine Yang and Chase Smith contributed to this report.
