Michael P. Drescher Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont | U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont – On July 18, 2025, Huan Lin, a 41-year-old Chinese citizen, was convicted of illegally entering the United States. The conviction followed a one-day bench trial before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Lin received a time-served sentence of approximately three months.
The trial revealed that on April 18, 2025, Lin was seen walking across a field near Holland, Vermont, about a quarter-mile south of the U.S.-Canada border. She then entered a minivan with New York license plates, which appeared to be for hire. Border Patrol agents stopped the vehicle after she got in. Lin presented agents with a Chinese passport containing a Canadian visa and an entry stamp into Canada from about seven days earlier. Her belongings included changes of clothing, electronics chargers, foreign currency, and what seemed to be Chinese identification and bank cards. It was confirmed by Border Patrol agents that Lin had no legal status in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher praised the collaborative efforts of United States Border Patrol and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The prosecution team consisted of Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher. Lin's defense was handled by Assistant Federal Public Defenders Charles N. Curlett Jr., and Emily Kenyon.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The operation coordinates resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).