American officials estimate that 100,000 Chinese are being smuggled into the United States each year and indicate that crime syndicates in India and Pakistan may increasingly follow the Chinese smuggling approach. Crime syndicates operate smuggling networks, and syndicate operations are transnational in that smugglers hire recruiters, sailors, corrupt officials, drivers, document forgers, employment agents, and gangs in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States. Law enforcement intelligence believes primary suspect groups for Chinese smuggling operations include the 14 K, Wo To Wo, Sun Yee On, Big Circle Boys, and United Bamboo. The smuggling of illegal Chinese immigrants represents far more than an immigration issue; it is a manifestation of Asian organized criminal groups that are committing transnational crime in a very blatant way. Since 1991, smuggling by sea has become both sophisticated and extensive. Key points in the chain of smuggling by sea include recruitment, escape, the smuggling voyage itself, offloading, and debt collection. Causal factors associated with the increase of illegal Chinese immigrants to the United States are reviewed, including historical, economic, sociological, and situational factors. A theoretical perspective based on supply and demand is offered to explain the new wave of illegal immigration, and policy recommendations and countermeasures to deal with the problem are suggested. 24 notes and 1 figure