Chinese Nationals Sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens

Saipan – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands imposed the following sentences against defendants for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(v)(I):

Sentencing Date:  May 31, 2024

DONGLIN XU, age 49 – 12 months imprisonment, one year supervised release, 50 hours community service, $100 mandatory assessment.

QINGLANG LI, age 52 – 8 months imprisonment, one year supervised release, 50 hours community service, $100 mandatory assessment.

These defendants organized transportation via private watercraft from Saipan to Guam for themselves and 12 other Chinese nationals.  Each person contributed up to $5,000 for the trip.  Federal law prohibited them from traveling outside of the CNMI.  Moreover, most had no lawful immigration status at the time of the crime.  These 12 defendants were previously convicted, sentenced, and ordered to return to China on the same charge as defendants Xu and Li.  Both Xu and Li received enhanced sentences for profiting from and having leadership roles in the scheme.  The district court further ordered that they return to China within three months of serving their sentences of confinement.     

“We will continue to prosecute this conduct to hold offenders accountable and promote safety at sea,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “The Court ordered substantial terms of imprisonment for these defendants due to their roles in the scheme.  This should send a message of deterrence to those planning or engaging in this criminal activity.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Eric S. O’Malley, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.