RismadarVoice Reporters
September 30, 2026
Two Chinese nationals have been charged in the United States for allegedly using passports belonging to American citizens to enter the country.
The US Department of Justice identified the defendants as Jin Fu Wei, 44, from Guangxi Province, and Xiaodan Lei, 47, from Henan Province.
The two men have remained in federal custody since their arrests and were expected to make their initial appearances before the US District Court in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
According to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, Wei and Lei travelled on a commercial flight from Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, on August 26.
Authorities alleged that the men presented US passports belonging to other American citizens to US Customs and Border Protection officers while seeking admission into the country.
CBP officers reportedly detected discrepancies after facial-recognition checks indicated that the men’s biometric information did not correspond with the records associated with the passports.
Authorities also alleged that neither man’s name appeared on the flight’s passenger manifest.
Further searches allegedly found Wei in possession of a Chinese credit card and bank card bearing his own name rather than the identity shown on the US passport he presented.
He was also reportedly carrying an expired Texas driver’s licence belonging to the person whose passport he allegedly used.
First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said customs officers detected the alleged passport misuse and detained the two men.
He said the case raised concerns about individuals attempting to enter the United States using false identities.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from CBP, while Assistant US Attorney Kent M. Walters of the General Crimes Section is handling the prosecution.
The Justice Department stressed that the allegations contained in the criminal complaint have not been proven in court and that both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant could face a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
