November 28, 2007

TWO ALIEN SMUGGLING ORGANIZATIONS INDICTED

The United States Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) joined United States Attorney Thomas D. Anderson in announcing the arrest and indictment of two organizations based in Canada responsible for smuggling into the United States hundreds of aliens from a variety of countries including Korea, Pakistan, and India. These indictments and arrests are the culmination of year-long joint investigations of these organizations by law enforcement in the United States, Canada and Korea.

The Jang Indictment

An indictment returned on September 11, 2007 and unsealed today, charges six individuals with conspiracy to smuggle hundreds of undocumented workers from Korea into the United States through Canada. The leaders of the conspiracy, Chol Min Jang, 49, and Dal Sung Jang, a.k.a., Seonee Jang, 44, (husband and wife) were recently arrested in Ontario, Canada on provisional arrest warrants by the RCMP. Also arrested in Canada and charged in the indictment are Sang Hoon Lee, 35, and Jun Park, 50. Another defendant, Sang Soo Ko, 28, has been arrested in Korea (on Korean charges) by the Korean National Police Agency, Foreign Affairs Bureau, International Crime Squad. The extradition of these defendants is being pursued by the United States.

The sixth defendant charged in the indictment, Myong Ho Tong, 46, is a resident of the New York City area and is being sought by law enforcement agents.

According to the indictment, between July, 2004 and December, 2006, the defendants conspired to bring illegal aliens to the United States and to transport illegal aliens within the United States. The indictment charges that the conspirators charged each alien, their families or future employers between $5,000 - $10,000 (or more) to be smuggled into the United States. The indictment also alleges that the conspirators met aliens at the Toronto, Canada airport, fed and housed them in safehouses while waiting for a chance to enter the United States, drove the aliens to places very close to the U.S. Border with Canada, guided the aliens across the border into either New York State or Vermont, and arranged to have drivers pick up the aliens in either New York or Vermont and drive them to New York City. During the course of the conspiracy, this organization was smuggling as many as 20 persons per month.

Count Two of the indictment charges defendant Myong Ho Tong with bringing at least five aliens to the United States on or about August 8, 2005. Count Three of the indictment charges defendant Jun Park with the same offense on or about November 21, 2006. Counts Four, Five and Six seek forfeiture of all property constituting proceeds of the crimes or that was used to facilitate the crime.

The Galdamez Indictment

A second federal indictment returned on October 4, 2007 and unsealed on October 25, 2007 charges five individuals with conspiracy to smuggle more than 100 illegal aliens into the United States over a three-year period between 2004 and 2007. Jose Manuel Galdamez-Serrano, 54, Norvin Gonzalez-Morales, 26, Ruben Damas-Hernandez, 29, Emmanuel Galdamez, 25, and Jatinder Singh, 50, are charged in a six count indictment returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Burlington. In addition to the conspiracy charge, these individuals are charged with bringing illegal aliens into the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. Three of the defendants, (Jose Manuel Galdamez-Serrano, Ruben Damas-Hernandez, and Norvin Gonzalez-Morales) were recently arrested in Canada by the RCMP, and proceedings have begun to extradite them to stand trial on these charges in the United States. Two of the defendants (Emmanuel Galdamez and Jatinder Singh), both believed to be in Canada, remain at large and are being sought by the RCMP.

The Indictment charges that the defendants, collectively known as the Galdamez Organization, conspired to smuggle aliens into the United States from Canada beginning in at least 2004 and continuing over a three-year period, until 2007. The Galdamez Organization was made up of, primarily, members of the Galdamez family. Jose Manuel Galdamez-Serrano is the patriarch of the family and head of the Organization. Ruben Damas-Hernandez and Norvin Gonzalez-Morales are married to two of Jose Galdamez-Serrano’s daughters, and Emmanuel Galdamez is Jose Galdamez-Serrano’s son.

Members of the Galdamez Organization offered alien smuggling services to other alien smuggling groups and persons who trafficked in human beings, including Jatinder Singh, a/k/a Vina, and to individuals living in Canada who came from other countries, including but not limited to Central and South America, Pakistan, and India, who had as their ultimate destination the United States. The Galdamez Organization knew that the persons whom they smuggled into the United States were not lawfully permitted to enter the United States. The aliens paid thousands of dollars to their smugglers to be brought into the United States. More than 100 aliens were smuggled into the United States by the Galdamez Organization.

Among other things, the Galdamez Organization members would house the aliens at their residences while they waited for transportation into the United States, and would drive the aliens to areas very close to the border between Canada and the United States at, usually, Vermont, but sometimes New York. Galdamez Organization members would sometimes guide the aliens across the border by foot and at night, deliberately avoiding roads and official ports of entry. On other occasions, the aliens would be directed where to cross. Other coconspirators from locations in the United States, including Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, would pick up the aliens at the Canada/United States border and take the aliens to, among other places, Boston, Massachusetts and New York City.

The Indictment charges five specific instances where illegal aliens were smuggled into the United States. The counts specifically charge that the offenses were committed for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain.

A six member of the conspiracy, William Nawab, 42, of Montreal was arrested in July when he attempted to enter the United States from Canada in New York. He has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens and alien smuggling and is awaiting sentencing. Nawab has been jailed since his arrest in July

If convicted, the defendants in each of the Indictments face a possible term of imprisonment of up to 15 years and a fine of $250,000 per count of conviction. Several of the counts include a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years. The actual sentence would be determined in accordance with the federal advisory sentencing guidelines. The United States Attorney emphasized that the charges contained in the Indictment are accusations only and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

United States Attorney Thomas D. Anderson commended the efforts of the United States Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security for their work on these two important investigations. Anderson also thanked the RCMP and the Korean National Police for their assistance on these investigations. “This case shows that when U.S. and Canadian law enforcement work together we can successfully investigate and prosecute those that make their living trafficking humans for profit,” stated Anderson. “As these arrests and prosecutions demonstrate, we will work together with our Canadian counterparts to identify and attack those organizations and individuals that are responsible for moving illegal aliens across our northern border,” commented Anderson.

“Disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into this country is a top priority for ICE,” said Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent-in-Charge of ICE’s Office of Investigations in Boston. “We will continue to closely coordinate with our international and domestic law enforcement partners to shut down vulnerabilities along our border which can be exploited by criminal organizations, and eliminate any potential national security threats against the United State,” commented Foucart.

“Securing our nation’s border is a key responsibility of the Border Patrol,” stated Border Patrol Sector Chief Rosendo Hinojosa. “As these cases demonstrate, the Border Patrol is committed to working collaboratively with foreign and domestic law enforcement agencies to vigorously investigate and pursue individuals and organizations both within and outside the United States that are responsible for smuggling aliens into our country.”

Assistant United States Attorneys James J. Gelber and Barbara Masterson are handling these prosecutions for the United States.