Three Mexicans charged in illegal visa scheme

Associated Press ^ | Jan. 31, 2003 | T.A. BADGER

[Dubya]

Three Mexican citizens who work in the U.S. consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, have been charged with running an illegal visa-selling scheme, the U.S. Attorney's office in Houston announced Friday.

Sergio Genaro Ochoa Alarcon, 31, Benjamin Antonio Ayala Morales, 34, and Ramon Alberto Torres Galvan, 34, were arrested and charged late Thursday with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, said Michael Shelby, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

The arrests were as part of a seven-month investigation by the State and Justice departments that led to Wednesday's closure of the Nuevo Laredo consulate's visa section. That investigation remains ongoing, said Nancy Herrera, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office.

Herrera said the three men worked as visa clerks at the busy consulate, which issued more than 100,000 visas last year. She would not say how many visas may have been distributed in the alleged scheme.

The complaints allege that Ochoa and Ayala would meet with prospective visa applicants outside the consulate. They would "offer to provide them with a visa for a price, generally $1,500," Herrera said.

Torres is accused of collecting money from a visa broker in exchange for improperly arranging for visas to be issued, Herrera said. Torres allegedly shared money with co-conspirators unnamed in the complaint, she said.

According to the complaints, those who bought the documents did not go through the required interviews, and background checks were not made to determine that the buyers qualified for visas to enter the United States.

The men, who made their initial court appearance Friday morning, were being held without bond at the request of federal prosecutors. Detention hearings for each man are scheduled for Feb. 6.

Thomas Armbruster, U.S. consul general in Nuevo Laredo, said this week that the consulate's visa section would remain closed at least through next week. He said all 30 or so Mexican citizens who work at the consulate were on administrative leave until Monday.

Armbruster could not be reached by phone late Friday afternoon for comment on the arrests.

[Marine Inspector]

Three Mexican citizens who work in the U.S. consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, have been charged with running an illegal visa-selling scheme, the U.S. Attorney's office in Houston announced Friday.

This is a problem with all of our embassies and consulates.

We hire nationals from the country were the office is located and have them do the jobs, with US citizens supervising.

[Dubya]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that.
We need to improve on how we watch our borders.

[gubamyster]

ping

[FITZ]

I bet you none of these three would have (or did) hesitate to sell visas to terrorists from countries we're about to go to war with.

[FITZ]

He said all 30 or so Mexican citizens who work at the consulate

Meaning our government's visas are no better than those matricula cards being issued at the Mexican Consulates.

[holyscroller]

Is there no end to the corruption with Mexicans/ Immigration/ Illegals/ Open Borders/ Refusal to enforce?

[FITZ]

The only thing I'll say in possible defense of Bush ---all this stuff has been going on for quite some time now, I think Bush should have done more earlier especially after 9-11 but to actually shut down a US Consulate in Mexico is pretty big. Mr. Fox is going to be very unhappy about this.

[waxhaw]

Marine Inspector is right; this is a major problem. Making matters worse, very often the State Department American employee is also involved in the corruption. I know of one case in Mexico in which the INS, coordinating with the FBI, attempted to arrest a State Dept. consular officer. The State Dept. Consular Section learned of what was going on and warned the consular officer. Every embassy I've worked at in Latin America (Peru, Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico) has (and still has) corrupt national and corrupt American employees. Since the State Dept. has its own law enforcement and security organization, the law-breakers are generally given a free pass. Things have not changed one bit under Bush; visas are still being sold on a daily basis.

[Marine Inspector]

Every embassy I've worked at in Latin America (Peru, Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico) has (and still has) corrupt national and corrupt American employees. Since the State Dept. has its own law enforcement and security organization, the law-breakers are generally given a free pass. Things have not changed one bit under Bush; visas are still being sold on a daily basis.

We had the same problem in Hong Kong, when I was a Marine Security Guard. My wife worked in the visa section, and since we left in 1992, 2 INS officers and several State Department Consular officers have been arrested for visa fraud.