Two Belizean Women Charged After Illegally Crossing U.S.-Canada Border

Two Belizean women and two American men face federal immigration charges in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota following a high-speed vehicle interception near the U.S./Canada border. The Belizeans involved have been identified as Rubiceli Aldana and her niece, Camille Aldana. Both women have been charged with misdemeanor illegal entry into the United States.  The driver and front-seat passenger of the vehicle, identified as Eric Lester and Christopher Marchetta, both residents of Louisiana, face multiple federal felony charges including bringing, transporting, and harboring illegal aliens.  According to federal court complaints, the incident began late Saturday, September 19, around 11:12 PM, when U.S. Border Patrol ground sensors were activated roughly six miles west of the Neche Port of Entry. The sensors detected foot traffic, showing an individual carrying a backpack, moving south across farm fields from Manitoba, Canada, into rural North Dakota.  Responding agents from the Pembina Border Patrol Station spotted a blue SUV with Tennessee license plates traveling southbound away from the border on Highway 18 at speeds reaching approximately 85 mph.  Agents executed a traffic stop and found Lester behind the wheel, Marchetta in the front passenger seat, and both Aldana women sitting in the rear. Upon request, the women produced Belizean driver’s licenses. Lester reportedly told agents the group was lost and attempting to navigate back to a hotel in Grand Forks.  Court documents detail that the Aldana women initially flew from Mexico to Toronto under Canadian visitor visas before traveling west to Winnipeg, Manitoba. From Winnipeg, the pair hired a taxi to bring them toward the international border, where they disembarked and walked on foot across agricultural land into U.S. territory.   After crossing into North Dakota, they were picked up by Lester and Marchetta along the road. Camille Aldana told federal investigators she knew Marchetta through a mutual acquaintance, though she did not know Lester.  During a search of the vehicle and occupants, agents seized cash, including over $3,300 found on Marchetta and nearly $1,000 carried by the Aldana women, as well as a quantity of marijuana.   Federal authorities noted that neither Belizean women has any prior criminal or immigration violation history. Court records cited by regional news outlets indicate both Lester and Marchetta have previous criminal convictions.  All four defendants made their initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Fargo. The investigation remains ongoing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security.