1 of 4 men involved in scheme to transport illegal aliens to Guam pleads guilty

One of four men involved in a scheme to transport illegal aliens to Guam has changed his initial plea and has now pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

Lee Jesse Omar Reyes went before U.S. District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy yesterday for a change of plea hearing in a case that also involves three others. The group, in this case, is accused of scheming to transport undocumented Chinese nationals to Guam from Saipan by boat.

At the hearing, Reyes told the court that he had read and understood what it means to change his plea. Still, Reyes said, he wants to enter a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.

Kennedy found Reyes fully competent to enter a knowing and voluntary plea and said she would recommend to U.S. District Court Chief Judge Ramona Manglona to accept the plea.

U.S. Probation Officer Juannette David-Atalig also appeared at the hearing, and reported that Lee failed to show up for drug testing on Feb. 12.

Despite this, David-Atalig recommends that Lee be allowed to be out, but be required to self-refer for substance abuse treatment.

Kennedy, upholding a previous court order modifying the conditions of Reyes’ release, granted David-Atalig’s request.

Reyes remains out of custody pending sentencing.

Reyes’ co-defendants in this case are Yan Juan Hu Taitano, Ramon Jose Quitano Sablan, and Maverick Ryan Iguel Marlik.

The three remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them during a previous hearing.

According to the indictment, beginning in or about June 2023, Taitano and Reyes orchestrated a plan to transport a group of nine Chinese nationals from the Northern Mariana Islands to Guam.

To carry out the plan, Taitano and Reyes allegedly hired Sablan and Marlik to captain a small motorboat from Smiling Cove Marina on Saipan to Guam on or about July 9, 2023.

All nine Chinese nationals have been charged separately and have already pleaded guilty.

According to the indictment, the Chinese nationals agreed to pay Taitano and Reyes up to $5,000 per individual.

“On or about July 9, 2023, the defendants arranged for the boat to pick up the Chinese nationals at Smiling Cove Marina with the goal of transporting [them] to Guam. The Chinese nationals met Taitano and Reyes on at least two occasions to make down-payments; part of which…Taitano and Reyes used to purchase the motorboat that was to be used for the trip,” the indictment stated.

“The boat departed Smiling Cove Marina at approximately 9pm with…Sablan and Marlik as well as the nine Chinese national passengers on board. The boat proceeded south toward…Guam,” said the indictment.

However, en route, the boat ran out of fuel and began to drift just before it reached the island of Rota. They all had to be rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.