Posted on 02/25/2005 5:04:14 PM PST by JustAnotherSavage
Three admit trying to sell documents to Iranians
Ring broken up by undercover agents
By SERGIO CHAPA The Brownsville Herald
February 24, 2005 — Three members of an alleged ring accused of attempting to sell fake immigration documents to Iranian nationals pleaded guilty in federal court to various counts of fraud and identity theft.
Port Isabel residents Roberto Aburto, his wife Azalia Gaona, Miriam Palestina and Rutilio Marquez are accused taking $1,050 to make fake Social Security cards and green cards in August for three Iranian men.
Aburto, 31, Gaona, 27, and Palestina, 26, were arrested during two Sept. 9 raids in Port Isabel, but Marquez remains at large and is presumed to have fled to Mexico.
According to federal court records, the ring’s activities had been monitored by the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement and the Social Security Administration as part of an ongoing investigation.
Between Aug. 2 and Sept. 9, the group allegedly agreed to make nine sets of fake Social Security cards and green cards for undercover agents for $2,770.
According to court records, Gaona made a deal with an undercover ICE informant on Aug. 10 to make fake documents using real Social Security numbers for three men who were reportedly from Iran for $1,050.
All four members of the group allegedly participated in the manufacture of those and other forged documents.
Aburto and Gaona were arrested in a Sept. 9 raid of their home at 323 Tarnava Drive in Port Isabel.
Palestina was arrested on the same day at another raid at her home at 217 South Shore Road.
Agents found fake Social Security cards and green cards inside both homes.
At Aburto’s house, agents found computer equipment that was allegedly used to create the fake documents.
Although Marquez remains a fugitive, he and the others were indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 5 and charged with 21 counts of conspiracy, misuse of a Social Security number, immigration document fraud and identification document fraud.
According to court records, Aburto, Gaona and Palestina entered plea agreements in January and February and are expected to be sentenced in May.
Jack Martin with the Federation for American Immigration Reform said his organization applauds the arrests but remains concerned that other people could sell fake documents to terrorists.
“It’s a tremendous issue of concern,” he said. “We’ve always known that people associated with international terrorism could get themselves smuggled into the United States through the Mexican and Canadian border and then easily obtain counterfeit documents that would allow them to move around freely.”
Nathan Selzer with the Valley Movement for Human Rights said reforming American immigration policy to allow more guest workers is the best way to put illegal document rings out of business.
“Our policy should be looking at causes of illegal immigration,” he said. “Legitimate documents are kept out of the hands of honest, hard-working people … forcing them to these dangerous, clandestine and illegal operations.”
schapa@brownsvilleherald.com
Voters and home buyers. All it takes is the above documents and the financial institutions don't check for "authenticity".
"Agents found fake Social Security cards and green cards inside both homes."
More news from Texas.
ping
Now we allllll know these Mexicans were only selling US identities to US-hating terrorists that US citizens themselves are unwilling to sell to US-hating terrorists.
Come, now!
Natural republicans.
Seriously, any attempt I could make at being funny pales in comparison to what the other side says with their own mouths:
“Legitimate documents are kept out of the hands of honest, hard-working people … forcing them to these dangerous, clandestine and illegal operations.”
Now THATS good stuff.
FYI
That would be lack of opportunity in their own countries, unless they want to go into drug dealing. The mexican "govt." needs to go!
Just in the name of accuracy.
Bush is just sucking up to the Mexican voters...Rove suggestion no doubt...and putting the nation in peril...no matter how much you like him...BUSH IS DEAD WRONG ON THIS ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE HELD PUBLICLY ACCOUNTABLE
Mexico's answer to all their problems are , Let the USA do it!
The above "immigration" advocate fails to reveal that those making and using fake ID's have no interest in applying for a legitimate "green card".
Bush is a good man and decent president, but he is indeed dead wrong on this one.
Love Nathan Selzer's solution to the problem: allow more "guestworkers" into our country. Yeah, that ought to fix this problem alright...
Well, we all know illegal labor is more important than national security.
That's a bureaucrat's way of saying they want some conceptual exercise to take the place of the kind of bottom-line action (enforcement) that will rectify this.
Fine employers who do not CHECK documents, and impose long prison sentences to those who provide false documentation.
"Well, we all know illegal labor is more important than national security."
We should know by now, huh? LOL!
BTT
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