Canadian charged with smuggling

BANGOR – A Canadian woman has been arrested for attempting to smuggle three people, two adults and one juvenile, from Guyana into the United States at the Calais border crossing.

The Canadian woman and the two Guyanian adults are scheduled to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Margaret Kravchuk in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

The juvenile has been turned over to U.S. immigration officials, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Names and ages of the individuals arrested were not released Thursday by the U.S. Border and Customs Patrol Service. They were arrested either late Wednesday or early Thursday when they attempted to enter the U.S.

The Canadian woman could be charged with smuggling illegal aliens into the U.S. The other individuals could be charged with have false documents or making false statements to border agents.

If convicted, all could face prison terms, fines and deportation to their home countries.

Guyana is a former British colony on the northern coast of South America. It is bordered by Venezuela to the west, Brazil to the south, and Suriname to the east. Guyana gained its independence in 1966.

Earlier this year, Carlos Galdamez-Guardado, 27, of Chelsea, Mass., was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for his part in a scheme to smuggle seven Indian nationals into the United States. Galdamez-Guardado admitted that he left seven wet and muddy Indians stranded in Houlton last October.

The Indians were deported but did not face criminal charges.