2 locals indicted for transporting Chinese nationals

The United States government has indicted two locals accused of transporting 21 Chinese nationals who allegedly entered Guam illegally.

Last week, Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Flores Jr. filed an indictment against Steven Villagomez Pangelinan and William J. Cabrera Jr., two locals accused of transporting by boat, 21 Chinese nationals who allegedly entered Guam illegally.

According to the indictment, on or about June 22, 2023, 21 Chinese nationals pooled money together, approximately $4,500 from each person, to pay alleged smugglers for illegal transport by boat from the island of Saipan to Guam. The alleged smugglers are Pangelinan and Cabrera along with two others who were boat crew.

Given the number of passengers, the indictment alleges that two boats operated by four total boat crew (two crew members on each boat) were utilized to facilitate the transport.

The boat passage commenced from Saipan at night and took approximately 12 hours to complete the journey of approximately 100 nautical miles (115 statute miles) to Guam.

Upon arriving at Ritidian Point on the north shore of Guam, the two boats allegedly took turns pulling up to the reef line so Chinese nationals could jump off the boat and swim and wade to shore.

After dropping the individuals, the two boats departed Guam and returned to the CNMI.

The indictment states that the first boat, operated by Cabrera and an individual named K.P., was a 25-foot, 1981 Boston Whaler Frontier, with CNMI registration number CM-0884-PU.

Operation of the boat was conducted through loading fuel cans onto the boat, adding fuel to the boat before and during the journey from Saipan to Guam and back to the CNMI, piloting or steering the helm, conducting nautical navigation, assisting the passengers with onboarding and offboarding of the boat, or performing mechanical maintenance on the boat as necessary.

The second boat, operated by Pangelinan and Steven Chris Tomokane, was an 18-foot, 1996 McKee Craft Pulse 1800 boat, with CNMl registration number CM-4852-PU.

Operation of the boat were also conducted through loading fuel cans onto the boat, adding fuel to the boat before and during the journey from Saipan to Guam and back to the CNMI, piloting or steering the helm, conducting nautical navigation, assisting passengers with onboarding and offboarding of the boat, or performing mechanical maintenance on the boat as necessary.

“The four boat operators and crew were each aware or acted in reckless disregard of the fact that the illegal aliens did not have lawful immigration status in the United States, and the smugglers each agreed to transport the illegal aliens by boat passage so that the illegal aliens could avoid detection by immigration authorities,” the indictment states.

Following an initial appearance last week before U.S. District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy, Pangelinan and Cabrera were released on their own recognizance while their trial is set for November 2024.