Inside ICE: Volume 2, Issue 10

ICE Shuts Down Driver's License Fraud Scams

ICE agents arrested 10 state motor vehicle employees in three states during April 20-27 for unrelated schemes to fraudulently issue driver’s licenses and identification cards.

ICE agents believe as many as 2,000 illegal aliens either bought or attempted to illegally obtain valid driver’s licenses and state identification cards as a result of the fraudulent schemes.

The largest recent case was on April 27 in Miami, Fla., where three Florida Department of Motor Vehicle employees and 49 illegal aliens were arrested in a massive fraud scheme that included the illegal sale of commercial and hazardous materials operator licenses. Those licenses were sold for fees of up to $3,000.

“This type of criminal activity,” said Jesus Torres, ICE Miami Special Agent-in-Charge, “poses a national security and public safety risk to our community. Those who engage in these activities must give an account for their actions.”

The enforcement action in Florida follows similar investigations in Michigan and Maryland.

On April 22, ICE agents arrested three Marylanders for a scheme where, in return for the payment of more than $1,000 per applicant, they provided Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) documents without showing the documentation required under Maryland law. One person arrested was an MVA employee and another was a former MVA employee. MVA Internal Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office assisted ICE with the investigation.

In Dearborn, Mich., on April 20 ICE agents, assisted by U.S. Postal Inspectors, arrested four individuals and seized more than $20,000 and a variety of document production equipment as part of an ongoing investigation into the production and trafficking of fraudulent Michigan driver’s licenses, U.S. visas, foreign passports and Social Security cards.

That investigation began after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized a number of blank Guinea driver’s licenses. An undercover ICE agent, posing as an Iraqi arms dealer with an Afghan passport, made contact with the conspirators.

ICE Arrests Two Smugglers, 146 Aliens at L.A. Drop Houses

United Kingdom Extradites Philly Drug Kingpin

ICE Shuts Down Driver's License Fraud Scams

New York, New Jersey Agents Win Task Force Work Honors

ICE Arrests 66 Illegals at Federal Worksite

ICE Deports Rwandan in Landmark Genocide Case

ICE Deports Man Who Abused His Six-Year-Old Stepdaughter

ICE Arrests 18 Illegal Aliens Working on Navy Contracts

ICE Arrests Three in Arizona for Smuggling Coke in Pickup

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Inside ICE is an e-newsletter produced by the ICE Office of Public Affairs to inform the public about the mission, operations and activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Please send comments and contributions to Russ Bergeron, Editor.

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Russ Bergeron, Editor
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