U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced that Youngshin Nam, also known as Yejin Nam, a 41-year-old South Korean citizen, pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Following her plea, she was sentenced to time served and handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson detailed the case, stating that Nam attempted entry into the United States on April 3, 2024, via a flight to Las Vegas, Nevada but was denied admission. Consequently, she was returned to South Korea and informed of her ineligibility for travel under the Visa Waiver Program for five years. Despite this warning, Nam was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas in July 2024 and subsequently removed from the country in September.
On May 4, 2025, Nam made another attempt to enter the United States at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, NY using a South Korean passport under the name Yejin Nam. Her vehicle underwent secondary inspection during which she initially resisted routine electronic fingerprinting but eventually complied. The fingerprint check confirmed an immigration fingerprint identification number linked to "Youngshin Nam," assigned after her arrest in Texas.
Further investigation revealed that Nam had submitted a fraudulent application for the Visa Waiver Program where she falsely answered "NO" to questions about using other names or aliases and denied having been refused entry into the United States previously.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at curbing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations while safeguarding communities from violent crime perpetrators.
The investigation leading to Nam's plea and sentencing was conducted by Customs and Border Protection under Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
