13 illegal aliens to testify against suspected human smugglers

At least 13 of the undocumented aliens from China who were held in the “tent city” on Tinian will testify against the persons facing attempted alien smuggling at the US District Court.

Federal Court Judge Alex Munson yesterday granted the motion filed by the US Attorney’s Office, which sought the arrest and detention of the 13 Chinese nationals who will serve as “material witnesses” in the criminal proceedings against the suspected alien smugglers.

The US Attorney’s motion was made upon recommendation of Immigration and Naturalization Service special agents, who believe the depositions of the 13 migrants “will be critical to determination of the defendants’ guilt or innocence.”

An INS agent, who requested anonymity, said the 13 have agreed to cooperate and testify at the trial, which will begin on Aug. 9.

A total of 15 Chinese nationals have been charged with attempted alien smuggling, and at least two have pled guilty to charges which are punishable by a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment.

In seeking the “arrest and detention” of the 13 witnesses, the US Attorney’s office said it intends to call them during the trial of the case, and that “it may become impractical to secure their presence by subpoena” if they are released and allowed to go back to their home country.

“Their detention is necessary to prevent a failure of justice,” the US Attorney’s Office said.

The 13 were among the hundreds of “boat people,” who sailed from China on separate ships on their way to Guam a few months ago. They were intercepted by the US Coast Guard and diverted to Tinian. None of them were charged with any crime.

The US Attorney’s office pointed out that these aliens would after all still be detained under the CNMI and federal immigration laws as “excluded aliens” rather than “as material witnesses.”

Accompanied by their court-appointed lawyers and interpreters, the 13 appeared at the federal court yesterday during the hearing of the US Attorney’s motion.

An agent of the US Marshall Service told the court that the 13 would be flown to Guam either on Friday or Saturday for “overnight accommodation” and will later be sent to a detention center in California.

A source said Guam’s detention center is already too crowded to accommodate any more detainees.

The illegal migrants, referred to as “boat people,” mostly come from China’s Fujian province.

They had reportedly paid members of the so-called snakeheads gang who had promised to take them to “America,” where they hope to get asylum.

It was earlier reported that the syndicate members operate in connivance with some police and customs officers in China.

More than two thousand migrants from China are now being held in Guam. Some of them are awaiting results of their application for asylum.

Those intercepted at the Northern Marianas waters were diverted by the US Coast guard to Tinian. At least 200 were repatriated to China last week.

Those facing charges before the federal court are Zhi Jian Ruan, Mo Qing Wang, Qing Zhen Wang, Shan Lun Huang, Wen Qui Guo, Wen Shen Gou, Gou Ming Xiao, Jin Dian Xiao, He Kang Lin, Zhou Liang, Ming Sheng Lee, Nan Qi Wong, and Jian Hui Lin. (MCM)