'Sunflower Queen' Liu Qiao-an Extradited from US to Taiwan; CIB to Escort Her Back This Evening

(Central News Agency, Taipei, June 4) Liu Qiao-an, known as the 'Sunflower Queen,' who fled to the United States for years on fraud and drug charges and was involved in several cases of sending 'drug parcels' from the US to Taiwan, was arrested last year through cooperation between Taiwanese and US law enforcement agencies. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) is expected to escort Liu back to Taiwan tonight.

Liu Qiao-an, who gained the moniker 'Sunflower Queen' for her participation in the Sunflower Movement, was later wanted in Taiwan for drug, fraud, and embezzlement cases. She was arrested last year during the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigrants.

The CIB stated in a press release today that Liu Qiao-an, a fugitive wanted abroad, fled to the US in 2019 after abandoning her bail, anticipating an arrest warrant for an embezzlement case. During her stay in the US, she not only repeatedly sparked controversy on social media but also continued to be involved in several drug cases. She is currently wanted by five district prosecutors' offices in Taiwan.

The CIB's International Criminal Affairs Division and Second Investigation Brigade continuously gathered intelligence on Liu's whereabouts through various channels and provided it to two CIB police liaison officers stationed in the Eastern and Western US. After Liu was wanted, the CIB formed a dedicated task force to begin a long-term pursuit.

Simultaneously, the CIB maintained close cooperation with US law enforcement agencies, including the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), with both sides exchanging intelligence on Liu's activities.

The CIB said that on January 22, 2025, HSI and ERO, based on intelligence provided by the CIB, successfully arrested Liu Qiao-an at a hotel in Boston, USA, and detained her at an ERO detention center.

After Liu's detention, the two liaison teams in the Western and Eastern US worked together to closely monitor her appeal situation in the US while continuing to coordinate repatriation procedures with the ERO. After more than 10 months of lengthy administrative and judicial processes, the two liaison teams, along with ERO officers, are escorting Liu back to Taiwan today. She is expected to arrive at Taoyuan International Airport around 7 PM and will then be handed over for subsequent judicial proceedings.

The CIB stated that this case, from the provision of real-time intelligence from Taiwan, the arrest by the US side, to the joint completion of the repatriation, took over a year, fully demonstrating the depth and effectiveness of Taiwan-US law enforcement cooperation. In recent years, coinciding with the US government's strong push for illegal immigrant repatriation policies, the CIB has actively seized this law enforcement opportunity. Through the persistent efforts of its two police liaison officers in the US, it has established a regular intelligence exchange mechanism with US law enforcement agencies, helping to apprehend several wanted fugitives who had fled to the US. (Editor: Huang Mingxi) 1150604

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