Court convicts woman for unlawful entry to Guam

The U.S. District Court yesterday convicted a Chinese woman on charges of improper entry, following two attempts to unlawfully enter Guam, particularly at a place not designated as a port of entry.

The court found Ye Wei Shun guilty of attempted improper entry by an alien, improper entry by an alien: subsequent commission, and criminal contempt, after a bench trial. It set the woman’s sentencing on Nov. 16.

Court records showed that Ye was one of the seven Chinese nationals who were detained on Guam following the discovery of their unlawful entry into the U.S. territory last Feb. 27.

Ye was among three women who were facing similar charges at the time they illegally entered Guam. She and the two others were part of the group that attempted to unlawfully enter Guam sometime in December last year by boarding a sailboat that departed from Saipan. The boat had reached Guam’s territorial waters but the boat pilot had to detour to Rota due to rough waves.

Meanwhile, the federal court sentenced another Chinese woman to one year of supervised release, besides the time she had already served in jail, for attempted improper entry by an alien.

The court also tasked Wang Mei Zhen to perform 200 hours of community service. It suspended the drug testing condition, saying that the woman poses a low risk of future substance abuse, and released her passport from custody.

The court convicted Wang after she pleaded guilty to the charge. The woman joined other passengers in a boat that attempted to sail to Guam from Tinian last April 5. During the trip, the boat got lost in rough seas, prompting the group to sail to Rota instead.