U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced the arrest and charging of Youngshin Nam, also known as Yejin Nam, a 41-year-old South Korean citizen. She faces charges of illegal re-entry into the United States and making false statements, offenses that could lead to a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, overseeing the case, reported that on April 3, 2024, Nam attempted to enter the U.S. via plane at an airport in Las Vegas but was denied entry and returned to South Korea. She was informed she would be ineligible for travel under the Visa Waiver Program for five years. In July 2024, Nam was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas and subsequently deported in September.
On May 4, 2025, Nam was discovered riding in a taxi registered in Ontario, Canada when it arrived for inspection at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, NY. She presented a South Korean passport under the name Yejin Nam as identification. The vehicle was sent for further inspection where initially she resisted electronic fingerprinting before eventually complying. This process revealed her immigration fingerprint identification number issued after her arrest in Texas.
Further investigation uncovered discrepancies on her Visa Waiver Program paperwork where she had answered "NO" to questions about using other names or aliases and having been previously refused admission to the U.S.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America which aims to address illegal immigration and protect communities from violent crime through comprehensive use of Department of Justice resources.
Nam appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr., who ordered her detention.
The complaint results from an investigation conducted by Customs and Border Protection led by Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
It is important to note that charges are accusations only; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.