PORTS OF ENTRY CRACKDOWN

160 Fall For Passport Fraud

by ALEX P. VIDAL

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The Department of Homeland Security in San Ysidro, California reported on December 16 that during its first year, a joint enforcement initiative to stem passport fraud at California border ports of entry launched by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and the U.S. Attorney’s office in San Diego has resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 160 individuals for felonies related to the use of false passports or other documents.

DSS said the operation began in November 2007 at three of the nation’s busiest land border ports with Mexico: San Ysidro, neighboring Otay Mesa, and Calexico in Imperial County.

In addition to the 160 cases, federal officials issued three warrants for individuals currently in state custody. In 41 of the cases, the defendants had been deported from the United States on at least one prior occasion. Another 40 cases involved smugglers, convicted sex offenders, or other violent criminals. And 20 of those prosecuted were U.S. citizens.

DSS added that during its first months, the enforcement effort at the three ports of entry initially resulted in the detection and seizure of about 20 illicit U.S. passports each week. However, the seizures quickly increased to more than 60 per week as federal officers became increasingly adroit at spotting fraud and developed enhanced information to allow them to better focus their efforts.

It said the upcoming Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) reportedly mandates that, by next June, all U.S. citizens entering the United States at its ports of entry must produce a secure travel document such as a passport, passport card, trusted traveler document, or an enhanced driver’s license from a participating state.

It added that this initiative may increase the illicit market for U.S. travel documents lost, stolen, or sold by U.S. citizens, which later are used by smugglers or criminals. These concerns prompted the joint enforcement project, which embedded a seasoned DSS special agent with the port’s criminal enforcement units to develop a multifaceted approach to protect the integrity of U.S. travel documents and to ferret out fraudulent use.

“CBP, DSS, and the U.S. Attorney’s office realized WHTI’s potential impact and took preemptive steps to ensure the safety of the public and its travel documents prior to the law’s full implementation,” said Gurdit Dhillon, CBP director of field operations in San Diego. “Since CBP has stopped accepting oral claims of U.S. citizenship when travelers enter our nation, we have observed increased use of illicit U.S. passports and visas by smugglers. We intend to vigorously prosecute those we apprehend with fraudulent documents.”

Early analysis indicates that a significant number of the U.S. passports seized at the San Ysidro port had not been reported stolen to the U.S. Department of State, which issues the documents.

“In some instances, stolen documents can be used within hours or days to commit crimes,” said Alex Moore, the resident agent-in-charge of the DSS’s San Diego Resident Office. “We urge U.S. citizens who have lost or had their travel documents stolen to immediately contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate or the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, in addition to local law enforcement agencies, so that authorities can place lookouts in a timely manner.” U.S. citizens or legitimate document holders will be prosecuted in cases where it has been found they sold or made their documents available for others to use, officials said.
United States Attorney Karen P. Hewitt said, “Given the high volume of traffic at the international ports of entry in California, the use of false or stolen documents to enter the United States is a national security issue. Passport fraud is a serious felony and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that those who present false or stolen passports are prosecuted.”

Those convicted of passport and visa fraud face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. Offenders also may be charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a minimum mandatory sentence of two years to be served consecutively with the underlying offense. /MP