By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The Office of the Attorney General formally charged Haize Lu, the second individual arrested for unlawfully entering Guam by boat.
Haize, who was caught after arriving on Guam on Saturday, was charged with "failure to acquire clearance requirements, failure to deliver a manifest to a customs officer and invalid place of unloading, all as misdemeanors.
The first individual arrested for unlawful arrival into Guam, Jianfeng Lu, was released by the court after posting a $2,000 bail bond and was ordered to provide his physical address, check in three times a week with probation, and turn in his passport.
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Haize's hearing was continued until Tuesday afternoon in order to arrange for interpreter services.
Prosecutor Matthew Shuck requested that Haize be held on a $5,000 bond at the Department of Corrections based in part on the defendant’s potential flight risk, but it was reduced to $2,000 by the court. The defendant currently remains in custody.
In cases where defendants have been charged with unlawful arrival and have posted bail, the court has sought to address the potential for flight risk by requiring defendants to identify where they will be staying and regular reporting to probation.
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The government of Guam has formed a task force to monitor the movement of boats ferrying foreigners who illegally enter the island through the "backdoor."
The task force formation was prompted by the Customs and Quarantine Agency's recent disclosure that seven boats shuttling Chinese nationals have docked on Guam in the past year.
According to a press release from the OAG, the federal government has the sole authority to enforce federal immigration policy and statutes involving the deportation of foreigners who have illegally entered U.S. soil.
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