According to Meissner, operations out of the offices in Beijing and Guangzhou have been especially productive. In January, INS repatriated 249 U.S.-bound migrants, who had been intercepted off the coast of Guatemala, directly to Fuzhou. It was the fifth group of migrants the United States repatriated to Fuzhou since June 1999. In total, some 1,000 migrants have been repatriated. Her arrest, which ended a five-year, worldwide manhunt, was greatly aided by Hong Kong law enforcement officials.
Effective cooperation depends on well-trained personnel.
Earlier this year, the Chinese government hosted a training program in fraudulent document detection. For the first time, INS officers from Carrier Affairs Office helped provide training to more than 70 people, Meissner noted. In June, Chinese and U.S. officials met in Beijing for the third session of the Joint Liaison Group on Law Enforcement. Representatives from INS and the Ministry of Public Security discussed specific proposals for increased information sharing and coordination. Cooperative anti-smuggling efforts are succeeding, Meissner said.