Last updated December 23, 2008 9:02 p.m. PT

Couple charged with alien smuggling
Undercover Mounties help U.S. authorities make arrests
By PAUL SHUKOVSKY
P-I REPORTER

A Canadian couple charged in U.S. District Court on Tuesday with smuggling aliens into the United States chose the wrong "alien" to smuggle: an undercover Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable.

Special Agent Todd Rignel of Immigration and Customs Enforcement accused the couple, Jas Binning and Jagdeep Binning, of conspiracy to smuggle and transport illegal aliens, bringing an illegal alien into the United States for financial gain, two counts of smuggling an alien and one count of attempted alien smuggling.

A confidential informant contacted Rignel last February to say that he had obtained the phone number of an East Indian man by the name of "Jassi" who he said was associated with a Vancouver, B.C.-based alien smuggling organization, according to a complaint signed by Rignel.

The number, the informant said, came from an acquaintance who has used "Jassi" to smuggle a relative into the United States.

Rignel called ICE agent Rod Noe of the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver.

Noe contacted an RCMP Immigration and Passport Team sergeant who checked the phone number and reported that it came back to an address that is also the home of Jaswant Binning, who has been the subject of several alien smuggling investigations, Rignel wrote.

A review of the ICE intelligence database revealed that Jas Binning, his wife, Jagdeep, and two of her brothers had had "multiple encounters" with Border Patrol agents that indicated that they had been engaged in alien smuggling.

Last March, ICE agents had the confidential informant call "Jassi" to say that he wished to engage him to smuggle several family members into the United States.

They arranged a meeting at a Ferndale grocery store that was monitored by an ICE agent fluent in Punjabi.

Jassi said that he charged $5,000 a person to pick up aliens at Vancouver International Airport and smuggle them across the border if they are East Indian. If they are from Pakistan or another country, he tacks on an additional fee, according to Rangel's complaint. He charges an extra $1,500 to drive aliens to Bellingham, the complaint says.

Four months later, the informant set up a meeting between Jas Binning and a Pakistani man who wanted to be smuggled into the United States. That man was an undercover RCMP constable who is a Canadian citizen of Pakistani heritage. Binning allegedly agreed to smuggle him at the Peace Arch Park for $4,500. Both Binnings attempted to smuggle the constable, but did not complete the operation because the constable had failed to comply with their condition that a getaway vehicle be placed in the park out of concern for his safety. The episode formed the basis of the charge of attempted alien smuggling.

On Dec. 13, another RCMP undercover constable met with Binning, who drove him to his house near the Peace Arch Park. By prearrangement, another constable called the undercover RCMP man who handed the phone to Jagdeep Binning. Jagdeep instructed him to drive into the parking lot of the park on the U.S. side and walk to the restroom building. Jagdeep ended the call, and walked to the restroom to meet with the constable. Meanwhile Jas Binning drove the undercover constable to Zero Avenue, the road along the border, and told him "the coast was clear" and that it was time to pay $5,000.

Agents arrested both Binnings last week, but their first appearance in court was delayed until Tuesday by the weather. They were ordered held pending further court proceedings. If found guilty of bringing in an alien for financial gain, they face a mandatory minimum sentence of three to 10 years and a maximum of 15 years in a federal prison.

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