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Border Patrol Agents in New York Stop Smuggling Attempt and Arrest Suspected Smuggler

Release Date
Tue, 07/16/2019

WESTVILLE, N.Y. – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Burke Border Patrol Station stopped a smuggling attempt and apprehended an illegal alien from the country of Georgia on Saturday, July 13. 

On Saturday evening, a Border Patrol agent performed a vehicle stop on a taxi driving south on State Route 37 near Westville.  The driver of the vehicle, David Chulukhadze, 42, is a Naturalized United States Citizen originally from the country of Georgia.  Also in the vehicle were two more men from the country of Georgia.  One of the men admitted that he did not have any immigration documents that would allow him to legally enter or remain in the United States.  All three men were taken into custody and transported to the Burke Border Patrol Station for records checks and processing.

At the station, record checks revealed that one of the individuals does not have any legal immigration status to be in, pass through, or otherwise remain in the United States legally.  The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York is charging him with Illegal Entry under 8 USC 1325 and charging the driver, Chulukhadze, with Alien Smuggling, a felony under 8 USC 1324.  The other male passenger was found to have a legal immigration status allowing him to remain in the United States.  He was released pending further investigation.

“The Swanton Sector depends on the vigilance of its agents to prevent alien smugglers from exploiting the first land border east of the Great Lakes,” said Swanton Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent William Maddocks. “The sector will work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute any criminal organizations responsible for smuggling attempts in the Swanton Sector area of operations.”

The Swanton Sector is responsible for securing the land border between ports of entry in Vermont, New Hampshire and northeastern New York.  

The assistance of citizens is invaluable to the Border Patrol's border security mission and we welcome community members' help to keep our nation’s borders safe. Please report suspicious activity at 1-800-689-3362.

For more on Customs and Border Protection’s mission at our nation’s ports of entry with CBP officers and along U.S. borders with Border Patrol agents, please visit the Border Security section of the CBP website.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021