'Snake Heads' Tried to Bribe Fed Agent, Officials Say
May 3, 2000
By Seamus McGraw
DETROIT (APBnews.com) -- They thought they had struck the mother
lode -- a corrupt U.S. official who would provide bona fide American
visas so they could smuggle Chinese immigrants into the country,
authorities said.
In fact, their contact was a loyal employee of the federal
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) who helped federal
investigators build a case against six "snake heads" who conspired
to bring hundreds of illegal immigrants from China.
Now, those six people -- two
Chinese citizens, two Canadians, a Pennsylvanian and a man
identified only as "Andy" -- are facing federal bribery, conspiracy
and smuggling charges, authorities said. The charges could land them
all in prison for up to 15 years.
'Operation Squeeze Play'
Three more, a Canadian man and his two grown daughters, were
arrested today and charged in a separate complaint with conspiracy
to smuggle aliens into the nation. The three, identified as Hip Chow
and his daughters, Jennifer and Ellis Chow, all of Scarborough,
Ontario, were released on their own recognizance.
The plot by the six "snake heads" was detailed in a six-page
indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Detroit, the
result of a yearlong probe by federal authorities dubbed "Operation
Squeeze Play."
The indictment alleges that the six planned to smuggle more than
400 Chinese nationals from Fujian province into the United States on
commercial airline flights to Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
To ease the immigrants' passage past U.S. Customs Service and
immigration officials, the conspirators found Ronald Katz, an INS
official who they believed would provide them with real U.S. visas
in exchange for real American dollars, authorities said.
But Katz, authorities said, was only posing as a corrupt
official. Instead, he was reporting every meeting, every transaction
to federal investigators.
$230,000 in payments
There were several transactions, according to the indictment. In
all, the conspirators, known among Chinese immigrants as "snake
heads," gave Katz $230,000, doled out a little at a time between
February and this month. In exchange, Katz gave them 425 visas,
which they could then sell to their prospective clients for more
than $25,000 a piece.
On March 18, the first group -- a party of six immigrants,
accompanied by alleged conspirator Hyo Young "Peter" Park of
Winnipeg, Alberta, made it past U.S. immigration officials at
Detroit, thanks to their ill-gotten visas, according to the
indictment.
Meeting in China
Their whereabouts are unknown, authorities said.
Later that month, an informant traveled to Fujian province to
meet with leaders of the smuggling operation, identified as Fheng
Wui and Fheng Huang, according to the indictment.
"During this meeting, Fheng Wui and Fheng Huang made a videotape
for the purpose of encouraging Inspector Katz and others to help
them," the indictment alleges.
In addition to Huang, Wui and Park, the indictment unsealed today
names Ton "Thomas" Choe of Toronto; Yu Fheng Liu of Camp Hill, Pa.;
and a co-conspirator identified only as "Andy."
Huang, Wui and Andy remained at large as of this afternoon. Park,
Choe and Liu were arrested this morning, authorities said. Bail had
not yet been set.
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