Any surprises here? Only - perhaps - in the hallowed halls of the DHS in D.C.
Posted on 02/28/2006 9:41:19 PM PST by bordergal
United States immigration and State Department officials fear that their newly developed, high-tech visas are being sold on the Mexican black market. The US government hoped the newly designed visas would help in curtailing rampant illegal immigration at the Mexican border, but investigators believe many of them are being bought or rented by Mexicans seeking illegal entry into the US.
Well over 11,000 of these Laser Visas, issued to Mexicans for legitimate travel into the United States were reported stolen or “lost” in just two border cities in 2005. Government officials claim this is a 15 percent jump from 2004 figures.
The ATM card-sized documents, which include the legal holder’s photograph and scanned fingerprints, were actually developed for use in 1998 hopefully to increase security and standardize documents used by Mexicans to cross the border since so many different types of documentation made the screening process cumbersome and confusing.
“While many may have been legitimately ‘lost,’ it seems probable that quite a few are either ’stolen’ or ‘reported stolen’ in order to sell them,” a U.S. consular official, who declined to be named, told Reuters.
“There appears to be a healthy market for both buying and renting laser visas on the border,” she added.
Mexicans call these visa cards “Micas,” which allow bearers to cross into the US without other supporting documents. The card also allows them to travel up to 25 miles inside California or Texas and they may remain in the US up to 30 days.
According to figures provided by Reuters, 8,745 of the border crossing cards went astray last year in Ciudad Juarez, south of El Paso, Texas, and 3,095 in Tijuana, opposite San Diego, California. No figures were available for other cities along the 2,000-mile border.
The problem got so bad that the US Embassy in Mexico City revamped its visa policy late last year, but did not inform anyone of the mounting problem. The embassy now replaces “lost” or stolen cards with stickers placed inside passports hope this will curb the illegal market of the laser cards.
The paradox is that in an effort to beef up security at the Mexican border using state-of-the-art technology, the US may have made it even easier to compromise that very security.
Also, the US is getting zero help from the Fox government in Mexico City during the course of investigations. While not speaking “on the record,” off the record some US law enforcement people believe elements within the Mexican federal and local governments are assisting in the diversion of legitimate visas.
While US authorities say they possess no concrete evidence that organized Mexican human trafficking rings overseeing the illicit trade are using these cards, many security experts believe there are several organizations trafficking in this document.
But Tijuana police claim most of the stray visas are sold by cash-strapped holders to human traffickers in the gritty industrial city of 2 million people, on a widely used route for Mexican illegal immigrants headed for the Californian border.
Recently, seven illegal aliens from Mexico were arrested for allegedly operating a fraudulent document ring in Chicago’s “Little Village” area. The organized crime enterprise generated approximately $2.5 million a year.
Found inside the residence was equipment used for making fake government documents, including: five high-speed computers, printers, ID card printers, scanners, laminating pouches, foil strips with security features, dozens of counterfeit identification cards, and other document-making paraphernalia. The estimated value of the seized items is approximately $10,000; the street value of the software is believed to be about $100,000.
Law enforcement commanders throughout the US believe that there are similar operations being conducted by Mexican organized crime cells. The Castorena crime family, a Mexican organized crime family that has controlled the majority of the fraudulent document manufacturing and sales trade in the US over the past 10 years, is believed to be trafficking in these new high-tech visas. Some even believe they are attempting to duplicate these cards.
Any surprises here? Only - perhaps - in the hallowed halls of the DHS in D.C.
No suprises here....just more insanity on our southern border.
As corrupt as Mexico is, you would think that some in DC might get a clue!
Those currently in DC understand that borders and globalism don't mix well. And since globalism isn't going to go away under their watch, you can forget about securng our southern border.... that would 'offend' the Mexicans. Just as denying our ports to the UAE would 'offend' the Arabs. Seems this President is afraid to 'offend' anyone, except fellow conservatives who might oppose some of his ideas; those he will label "vigilantes" and "racists". I'm beginning to think that President Bush is really John Kerry with a Texas accent.
Personally, I don't think the UAE port deal and our southern border equate.
I have a real problem with millions of Mexicans and Other than Mexicans (OTM'S) just walking in here. They are undermining our social infrastructure, hospitals and destroying our culture and the value of our citizenship.
We really need to close the border and slowly round up the illegals.
"The organized crime enterprise generated approximately $2.5 million a year"
Disgusting.
Most terrorism experts seem to agree that the lax security at our ports is more dangerous right now than our southern borders are, (regarding terrorism).
I do agree with you that a pourous border to the south creates a long list of problems for America, involving the economy, drug trade, crime rate, insurance fraud, you-name-it. It even provides islamic terrorists a nice little place of entry, with fake Mexican or America ID, of course.
I'm beginning to think that President Bush is really John Kerry with a Texas accent.
Great line!
The raping of America by Mexico continues under the Bush/Clinton/Bush administration which is deaf and dumb to the demands of the Americans who elected them.
This laser scan photo ID card should be accompanied by a fingerprint scan. No one would get past that. All who want the card would be fingerprinted but that would offend that criminal nation to the south
A retinal scan would also do it
The raping of America, in my opinion, is being done by members of the Council on Foreign Relations. The Bushes and Clintons are members with half of congress. They are not deaf and dumb. These idiots are totally aware of what they are doing and could care less about the USA.
ping
BUMP
I'd like to personally thank all the jackasses who have made this type of technology necessary, and lessened OUR freedom thereby.
May you be eaten by piranhas while crossing the Rio Grande.
Neither do I or my fellow Customs and Border Protection Officers.
I have a real problem with millions of Mexicans and Other than Mexicans (OTM'S) just walking in here. They are undermining our social infrastructure, hospitals and destroying our culture and the value of our citizenship.
Agreed.
The one laser-card reader at the station was kept in a back room somewhere, far from the aliens being checked, and accessable only to a couple supervisors. When asked, a supervisor, after about 3 calls to another BP station, was able to get the reader to work enough to read the data, but not to compare prints with alien, because that part "wasn't hooked up".
That was in 2002.
Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Which POE (Port of Entery) did you tour?
Don't take this wrong, but there are BP Officers working at the POE's. In 2002 those would have been Immigration Inspector, which are now called Customs and Border Protection Officers. The BP operates between the POE's, trying to stop those folks that try and bypass the POE.
As for the card readers, 99% never worked anyway. My eye and intuition was always better then a card reader.
I infer from this that these "high tech" IDs don't have unique numbers so that they can be invalidated when they're "lost". Which would say to me that they aren't checked against a U.S. database when they're presented for entry. That ain't "high tech" in my book.
Institute an ID that's got an associated database on U.S. computers containing the owner's biometrics like a fingerprint or iris scan, then check that info against whoever is standing there claiming that the ID is his/hers. THAT's "high tech".
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