Inland Empire residents found guilty of running ‘birth tourism’ operation

A federal jury Friday found two San Bernardino County residents guilty of running a years-long birth tourism operation in Southern California, enabling Chinese women to enter the United States for the specific purpose of giving birth to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children.

Michael Wei Yueh Liu and Jing Dong, both of Rancho Cucamonga, operated their scheme from at least 2012 to 2015, according to authorities.

At a price of tens of thousands of dollars, Liu, 59, and Dong, 47, advised clients how to obtain visas, clear customs and hide their pregnancies from immigration officials, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

Once in the United States, the women were given temporary housing in Southern California and help in applying for legal documents for their newborns, authorities said.

In a news release, the Justice Department said the women typically returned to China within one or two months of giving birth and that Liu and Dong “knew — or deliberately avoided learning — that their customers lied on their visa applications submitted to immigration authorities to enter the U.S.”

Among the alleged false statements pregnant Chinese citizens made was that their trip was for tourism and would only last days or weeks.

A sentencing hearing for Liu and Dong is scheduled for Dec. 9. They could face two decades behind bars under charges of conspiracy and international money laundering.