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Posted on 11/16/2003 10:28:43 AM PST by MontanaBeth
Two men recently pleaded guilty to smuggling illegal aliens from Korea into the United States from Canada. The smuggling operation was busted in the Yaak area of Lincoln County in the northwest corner of Montana. Jae Kyun Jung, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court in Missoula last week to three charges--conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens, smuggling illegal aliens and aiding and abetting smuggling.
Sang Bong Park pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens and abetting smuggling. No age was given for Park.
Their arrests were the result of cooperation between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On Aug. 7, Canadian police contacted the Porthill Port of Entry near the Yaak area to say a possible alien smuggling operation was discovered in the Freeman Creek area of Canada.
The RCMP reported that 12 Koreans were illegally entering the United States near Garver Creek in Lincoln County.
U.S. border officials traveled to the Garver Creek/Pete Creek area. They reportedly saw a vehicle with no license plate which was registered in California to Park. The vehicle was 2 miles south of the Canadian border. The vehicle was put under surveillance while the area was searched. Border agents reportedly saw a Korean man in the driver's seat, putting on his sandals. He was identified as Park, who had a student visa. Park told the agent he was studying English in California. When asked why he was in such a remote area, Park said he was looking for his golden retriever, Tom.
He had no hiking equipment, survival gear, dog leash, dog food or any dog hair in his vehicle. A search found keys to a 2003 white Lincoln Town Car.
The Lincoln was found five miles south of the Pete Creek access road. Inside the Lincoln were wire money receipts in Park's name, indicating he had wired about $7,000 to someone in British Columbia.
Park was found to be illegallly present in the United States and was arrested.
On Aug. 8, border personnel apprehended 12 Koreans on the same path near Garver Creek, north of where Park was found. They were arrested and taken to the Bonners Ferry, Idaho office. When Jung was interviewed, he admitted he smuggled the aliens into the United States for money. Witnesses said Jung was the guide, or smuggler, for the group. Several said they paid $300 to $4,500 each to be brought in the U.S. from Canada.
One person said he went to the U.S. Consulate in Korea and visited various travel agencies outside the building there that promised travel and visas to the United States. He paid $1,000 to an agency in addition to airfare from Vancouver to Calgary. He went to Vancouver and then flew to Calgary, where he met Jung in a motel. He paid $3,500 to enter the United States.
Jung and Park face prison terms of 5-10 years on each charge, plus $250,000 fines and three years supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy will sentence them Feb. 26. They were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kris McLean.
Reporter Chery Sabol may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at csabol@dailyinterlake.com
Trying to bust the border near Bonners Ferry? NOT a really bright idea.
Of course, had they gotten "caught" at the u.S. mexican border and just claimed their names were juan and jose, they would have been handed drivers license apps, voter registration cards, blank welfare checks and air passage to the southwestern city of their choice. Anyone they claimed might have spoken harsh words in regards to their illegal boarder busting would be IMMEDEATLY ARRESTED and sentienced to 45 years to life for impeding an illegal border crosser, uuuh, make that a trespasser.
You did just fine, and kindly add my name to those you place in the *To block* for any future Montana posts, AKA your *Montana ping list.*
I don't expect that they'll be released, but I know who to ask, and I will. The good news is that it appears that won't be a problem for quite some time....
I'd recognize a North Korean-Pyongyang dialect of English quicker than "Jack Robinson" being said. Well, (Sorry Montana-ites), let's git some feds up there to thoroughly interrogate ASAP.
Not overkill to suggest we really follow up on this one. I recall N.K. terrorist-bomber Miss Kim Hyung Hee who was detained in Dubai, and they thought she was Japanese for several days....I have heard her "Japanese" language on TV (which she learned at spy school in P'yang) and it is clearly "Korean". The Dubai-ites never knew the difference until the Korean and Japanese embassy interrogators arrived on the scene.
Note too that there's a sizable relocated Hmong Lao community in and around Missoula. While I seriously doubt the Koreans could have fooled those of the Lao community, they might have successfully used those recent American newcomers as camouflage or cover. And it's also possible that one or more of the Missoula Hmong could have been a target.
There's also a Hmong community around Winina, MN. It might be worth someone keeping an eye out for undocumented Koreans there as well.
-archy-/-
A Korean just 'has' to stand out in Montana! Is that state not one of the mose white states we have?
Maybe thats what blew his cover.
What worries me is that Canada's immigration policies are worst than ours.
That was a dead give away there. Only an illegal alien would claim his golden retrievers name is Tom.
Good post. Welcome to the FR.
Long unguarded border on our Northern front. Needs to be beefed up, bigtime.
Umm.. sorta. We don't have many blacks here but we have quite a few orientals. Many of them have been here over 140 years since the railroad constructions and the mining operations. Of course the aboriginal inhabitants are quite prevalent and we respect their lands and their heritage.
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