[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.