BUFFALO, NEW YORK — A 63-year-old Canadian truck driver faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to alien smuggling following a June incident at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry in Buffalo, where an X-ray scan of his commercial truck revealed a man standing inside the sleeper berth — despite the driver telling officers no one else was aboard.
Khvicha Chalisuri, a Canadian citizen and native of Georgia, was approaching the Peace Bridge Port of Entry in the early morning hours of June 24 when CBP officers asked if anyone else was in the truck. He said no. The truck was referred for an X-ray scan. The image showed what appeared to be a person standing in the sleeper portion of the cab. The individual, identified as Alexandru-Stefanita Iordache, 34, a Romanian national living in Canada, was removed from the truck.
When questioned, Chalisuri claimed Iordache was his co-driver and was sleeping. However, Iordache was not listed on the manifest and had not been presented to officers for inspection. Investigators determined Iordache had no authorization to enter the United States. Iordache has since been convicted and sentenced on a charge of eluding examination by immigration officers.
Chalisuri pleaded guilty to bringing an alien to the United States. Sentencing is scheduled for December 22, 2026, before Judge Sinatra. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan W. Fitzgerald.
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