Cyril E. King Airport, St. Thomas USVI. Photo Credit: V.I. CONSORTIUM
ST. THOMAS — Guangsong Chen, a national of China, pleaded guilty in the District Court to the charge of Illegal Entry into the United States, as announced by United States Attorney Delia L. Smith. The hearing took place before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller.
Court records reveal that on August 3, 2023, while attempting to board a flight to the mainland at the Cyril E. King airport in St. Thomas, Chen was inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. It was during this inspection that officers learned Chen had initially traveled from China to Suriname. Subsequently, on July 26, 2023, he made an illegal entrance into St. Thomas via boat, having paid smugglers $7,500 for his transportation.
There exists no legal documentation permitting Chen's entry into the United States. Furthermore, there's no indication that he either sought or was granted prior permission to enter or stay in the country, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As a result of his guilty plea, Chen faced a potential sentence of up to six months in prison. However, he was sentenced to time already served.
The United States Customs and Border Protection led the investigation into this case. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz prosecuted the case on behalf of the U.S. government.
Advertisements
