An early morning alert of border crossing at the beach led to the apprehension of eight illegal aliens and charges against those who sought to profit from the smuggling event.
Two residents of British Columbia, Canada have been charged in Washington state after federal authorities say they smuggled Vietnamese nationals into the United States through Point Roberts, a small US peninsula accessible by land only through Canada.
Van Phuong Vu, 28, of Vancouver, and Johnny Huynh, 36, of Burnaby, appeared in US District Court in Tacoma on charges of conspiracy to transport certain aliens for private financial gain.
Authorities said the scheme unfolded on May 5, 2026, when US Border Patrol was alerted to a group crossing from Canada into Point Roberts along the beach. Agents later located the suspected migrants at Bellingham Airport after they had allegedly flown from Point Roberts to the mainland US.
Agents first observed a group leaving the charter flight terminal with Huynh and heading toward a nearby hotel, where they were stopped. A second group, allegedly accompanied by Vu, was intercepted shortly after another flight arrived.
Federal authorities determined that eight Vietnamese nationals had entered the US without inspection. Some allegedly told law enforcement they had agreed to pay between $13,000 and $15,000 to be smuggled into the country.
According to prosecutors, some of the migrants had communicated with the smuggling group over social media and were told to pay the smuggling fees after reaching their final destinations, including New York and Tennessee.
Vu, a Vietnamese citizen and lawful permanent resident of Canada, and Huynh, a Canadian citizen, face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
“I commend the US Border Patrol for their quick and diligent work in this case,” said First Assistant US Attorney Neil Floyd. “An early morning alert of border crossing at the beach led to the apprehension of eight illegal aliens and charges against those who sought to profit from the smuggling event.”
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