on the boat.  He was one of the ten
                         who died.  Whenever I think about
                         that night, I think about him.
                         I could hear the shouts and screams
                         of my companions. I wasn't sure why
                         I didn't die. We jumped into the
                         water together but others died.

                                   NARRATOR
                         In August 2000, the Golden Venture
                         was towed into the ocean off Boca
                         Raton, Florida and deliberately
                         sunk to the bottom -- to be used as
                         an artificial reef.    The wreck
                         became a popular destination for
                         local scuba tours. 

                                   CRAIG
                         Well we're almost 12 years post
                         Golden Venture and the same myopic,
                         moronic, abusive policies are still
                         in place. We've done nothing of
                         worth. We've spent tens of millions
                         of dollars, we have statistics that
                         can be twisted around to show, yes,
                         we're deporting more people than
                         ever. OK, show me the statistic on
                         justice.  Show me the statistic on
                         what we've done to our national
                         soul by being more abusive, by
                         being less compassionate.  It makes
                         no sense at all.

                                   BEV
                         I just have to see this through.  I
                         don't know why.  Whether it's my
                         grandfather from the grave saying
                         get your Irish butt in there and
                         keep going, I don't now.  But it's
                         something that has to be done.

                                   NARRATOR
                         After the grounding, the government
                         hunted down the Golden Venture
                         snakeheads. 
                         Karen Pace was part of the team
                         that pursued Lee Peng Fei, leading
                         to his arrest in Bangkok.  He was
                         extradited and later sentenced to
                         20 years in a federal penitentiary. 
                         Sister Ping, who put up the money
                         for the Golden Venture, was
                         arrested in Hong Kong and
                         extradited.   In March, 2006, she
                         was sentenced in federal court to
                         35 years. INS official William
                         Slattery resigned under pressure in
                         1997, following a Justice Dept.
                         investigation and allegations of
                         "improper associations" with Korean
                         garment factory owners.

                                   GUIILIN
                             (subtitled Chinese)
                         There's a Chinese saying..."you
                         plan. Heaven will deliver."  It's a
                         matter of luck.  You could dream of
                         being president and end up a
                         beggar. It's all daydreaming. You
                         get by day by day, doing whatever
                         you are able to. It doesn't help
                         to think far ahead.  

                                   NARRATOR
                         Unlike the others paroled by
                         Clinton, Guilin pursued his case in
                         immigration court.   In June 2004,
                         a Judge gave him asylum.   Today he
                         has his own restaurant, and is
                         waiting for a green card.

               Mug shot.

                                   NARRATOR
                         Amir Tobing, captain of the Golden
                         Venture, did four years in jail,
                         and then was deported.   Less than
                         a year later,, he was caught by the
                         Coast Guard on a burning sailboat
                         off Washington State.   The boat
                         was filled with marijuana.   Tobing
                         is serving 10 years.

                                   STERLING
                         The Chinese, some of them say,
                         well, you're half Chinese, you
                         know, you're part Chinese. I spend
                         more time than I do with American
                         people.
                         When they're around, or even here
                         in York, I spend more time with my
                         Chinese friends than I do with
                         other people. I mean, from that
                         time my life changed. I call a
                         couple of them in China, every week
                         I talk to them. 

                                   KAIQU
                             (subtitled English)
                         Sterling my best friend. I love
                         you.

                                   STERLING
                         I talked to Kaiqu, and he was very
                         happy and he recognized my voice
                         right away when he heard it.  He
                         laughed.  He was happy.  And when
                         he left, he said, "I love you,
                         Sterling."  Which is what I always
                         told the guys in prison when I
                         visited them.  Whenever I left
                         there, I always said I love you.  
                         It felt good to hear him say that.

                                   KAIQU
                             (subtitled Chinese)
                         He's such a nice person.  I could
                         never forget him.  I would like to
                         sit down with him and talk all
                         night.  What he did is like
                         bringing warmth to a cold man in
                         winter.

               Over titles:

                                   NARRATOR
                         The 286 immigrants who came to
                         America on the Golden Venture met
                         different fates after their ship
                         ran aground. Besides those who died
                         or escaped -- 14 of the juveniles
                         on the ship were released,
                         initially to court custody. 35
                         received political asylum. 55 were
                         released on bond or INS parole --
                         their whereabouts are unknown.  Two
                         received artists visas.  53 were
                         released in the 1997 Clinton
                         parole.  111 were deported,
                         including 12 who found political
                         asylum in Latin America. Of those
                         111, it's believed that about half
                         have returned to the US illegally.

                                   YAN
                             (subtitled Chinese)
                         What is life? Life is tiring. I've
                         been turned around so many times
                         but I'm still the same. Now I'm
                         getting old. People say life is too
                         short. That's for rich people. For
                         someone who has gone through so
                         much, it's hard to talk about the
                         taste of life. When you're on this
                         road, there's no way back. You have
                         to keep going.

                                   NARRATOR
                         The hurricanes of 2005 finally
                         destroyed the Golden Venture. The
                         hulk lies scattered on the ocean
                         floor.

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