Reno said the alleged ring, based in New York, is the largest alien smuggling operation ever detected along the northern border. Many of the 35 were arrested in sweeps Wednesday after a year of investigation, authorities said.
Ring leaders face federal conspiracy and alien trafficking charges.
Some of the approximately 3,600 young Chinese men allegedly smuggled in over two years and some U.S. employers may also face charges, authorities said. Reno said at a news conference with Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris Meissner and other officials. Smugglers tried to take advantage of the lightly patrolled border between New York and Canada, and the sometimes confusing overlap of American, Canadian and tribal government jurisdictions, authorities said. Meissner said there is no evidence tribal government leaders on the St. Regis reservation knew of the alleged smuggling operation. Immigration authorities have not found similar rings operating through other border reservations, she said.