Chinese illegal immigrants detained in Texas

From this (victoriaadvocate-proxy.nandomedia . com/local/local/story/2803313p-3246198c.html):
Goliad County wrote a new chapter Tuesday in its ongoing dealings with human smuggling. Sheriff Robert DeLaGarza said more than a dozen Asians who appear to be illegal immigrants were caught traveling through south Goliad County by a deputy patrolling an area north of Sarco.

DeLaGarza said the suspected illegals had passports from the Republic of China. It appears they are obtaining passports to enter Mexico as tourists, then making their way to the United States border, he said.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent who picked up the immigrants later in the day told DeLaGarza the agency is seeing more and more Chinese coming across the Mexican border...
There are no reported ties to terrorism or spying. Note that this article could have been a bit clearer. When they say "Republic of China" I assume they mean it in the Taiwan sense, and their use of that term is not just shorthand for the People's Republic of China.