A busload of Chinese tourists cruising along an isolated mountain road in southwestern Colombia looked suspicious to Colombian cops — with good reason.
Police who stopped the northbound bus at a checkpoint on the Panamerican Highway south of Popayan on Monday found the 30 "tourists" to be illegal immigrants trying to make their way to the United States.
The itinerary of the group, which included 12 minors, shows the lengthy, serpentine paths that Chinese are willing to follow to reach the United States. They apparently disembarked in Peru, then made their way up through Ecuador and into Colombia, avoiding detection by border officials. They were en route to the Colombian port city of Buenaventura and on to Panama when they were seized.
In the immigrants' possession, police found $1.8 million in cash.
Colombia deports Chinese illegals | La Plaza | Los Angeles Times