U.S. charges B.C. men with smuggling Vietnamese migrants into Washington state

A ferry is seen leaving the isolated peninsula community of Point Roberts in Washington state in 2021. (Jennifer Gauthier/ Reuters via CNN Newsource)

Two Metro Vancouver men are facing federal human-smuggling charges in the United States after they were arrested for allegedly helping Vietnamese migrants illegally enter the country from Canada.

Van Phuong Vu, a 28-year-old resident of Vancouver, and Johnny Huynh, 36, of Burnaby, were arrested near Bellingham, Wash., after eight Vietnamese nationals allegedly entered the U.S. illegally last week.

The U.S. district attorney for western Washington state says the men were detained near the Bellingham airport after allegedly flying in from Point Roberts, Wash., an American community on the southern tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula.

A statement from assistant district attorney Neil Floyd describes Vu as a Vietnamese citizen and lawful permanent resident of Canada, while Huynh is a Canadian citizen.

The two men “sought to profit from the smuggling event,” but their efforts were thwarted by the “quick and diligent work” of U.S. border officials, Floyd said.

According to court documents, border agents were alerted to a group of people crossing into Point Roberts on foot along a beach at around 8:30 a.m. on May 5.

Investigators allege the group later boarded two charter flights to the Washington state mainland, where federal agents intercepted them.

Some of the Vietnamese nationals told investigators they had agreed to pay between US$13,000 and $15,000 to be smuggled into the country, with final destinations including New York and Tennessee, according to the statement.

The smuggling arrangements were reportedly co-ordinated through social media, with payments to be made after the migrants arrived at their final destinations.

The district attorney’s office says Vu and Huynh are each charged with conspiracy to transport aliens for private financial gain, an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a US$250,000 fine.