TACOMA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Two B.C. residents were arrested in Bellingham last week in connection to a suspected human smuggling scheme.

U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd says 28-year-old Van Phuong Vu and 36-year-old Johnny Huynh made appearances in federal court in Tacoma Thursday, May 14.

Court documents say U.S. Border Patrol learned that a group of people had crossed through the beach from Canada into Point Roberts on the morning of May 5.

Later that morning, agents intercepted the group while they were walking from Bellingham International Airport to a nearby hotel. Border Patrol agents were also made aware of a second group that was flying into Bellingham and detained them as well.

Investigators believe that Vu and Huynh tried to smuggle a total of eight Vietnamese nationals into the U.S. Some of the migrants told Border Patrol that they paid between $13,000 and $15,000 to be brought into the country.

If convicted, Vu and Huynh could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.