As reported earlier, the terror alert of four Chinese nationals as possible terror suspects was a hoax. Authorities say the alert was the result of an act of revenge by an immigrant smuggler allegedly trying to get back at people who failed to pay him. The warning from an anonymous tipster to California Highway Patrol on Jan. 17. quickly crackled across the nation to Boston. .
The caller claimed that four Chinese nationals and two Iraqi nationals entered the United States from Mexico and were awaiting a shipment of nuclear material that would follow them to Boston. The list of possible terror suspects later grew to 16.
The FBI released the photographs of the four Chinese nationals and later released the names, some passport numbers and possible birth dates for nine other Chinese and one Hispanic man they said were wanted for questioning. No information was released about the two Iraqis who were said to have been involved. (Source: The New York Times, Jan 26, 2005).