VZCZCXRO1299
RR RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHGR RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHMT
RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC
DE RUEHBU #1203 3101357
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061357Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4577
INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RUEPICB/USCIS FDNS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ BICE INTEL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001203
DEPT FOR CA/FPP, WHA/AND, DS/ICI/CR
DEPT ALSO PASS TO KCC
POSTS FOR FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS and DHS/ICE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS ASEC SMIG PE AR
SUBJECT: DOMINICANS WITH FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS USE BUENOS AIRES AS
TRANSIT ROUTE TO THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: At least ten Dominican nationals carrying
fraudulent U.S. visas tried to use Argentina's Ezeiza International
Airport to enter the United States in October 2009. Two others with
fraudulent third-country passports were intercepted as well. END
SUMMARY.
----------------------
CAUGHT AT THE AIRPORT
-----------------------
2. (SBU) On October 11th, United Airlines (UA) officials called FPU
to verify a Teslin visa presented at the check-in counter by a
Dominican national attempting to travel to Washington D.C. for
tourism. The subject stated that she had traveled from the
Dominican Republic to Buenos Aires a few days earlier to visit
relatives. After a brief description of the visa, which UA
officials could easily remove from the passport, FPU advised the UA
officials to contact CBP Miami, who confirmed the visa was altered.
On October 14, American Airlines (AA) denied boarding to another
Dominican national with an altered U.S. visa, whose statements
matched those given by the malafide traveler denied boarding October
11th.
3. (SBU) On October 15, DHS Alien Smuggling Interdiction Office
notified FPU of several other Dominican nationals who had tried to
enter the United States with fraudulent visas from Ezeiza. Three
had been denied entry at U.S. ports of entry and three others were
admitted in error in Dallas/Fort Worth.
4. (SBU) Two additional Dominican travelers were denied boarding by
AA at Ezeiza on October 19, one with a totally forged Lincoln visa.
Their stories matched the previous travelers' stories. Both had
paid cash for their roundtrip tickets and travelled without luggage,
one bound for New York, the other for Los Angeles.
---------------------------------
WORKING TOGETHER TO PREVENT FRAUD
---------------------------------
5. (SBU) Using DHS and Post data, FPU compiled a comprehensive list
of the ten known Dominicans who had traveled through Ezezia in
October. CCD checks showed that two of the fraudulent visa foils
were issued in Lima, Peru, and one of those had been reported
lost/stolen by the owner. FPU then contacted local immigration
officials, who informally provided entry and exit information for
the ten Dominicans. Most of the travelers arrived in Argentina
October 6 on a Copa Airlines flight and in the following days
boarded or attempted to board U.S.-bound flights on American,
United, Continental and Delta Airlines. By October 23, all except
two had left Argentina. Those who had been denied at Ezeiza flew
back to Santo Domingo on Copa Airlines. An RSO Investigator at U.S.
Embassy Santo Domingo requested copies of the altered U.S. visas,
passport photos and pages, and is investigating the possibility of
obtaining arrest warrants.
-------------------------------
ATTEMPTS TO ENTER CANADA FOILED
-------------------------------
6. (SBU) On October 5, a Dominican national who has CLASS hits
attempted to board a flight to Toronto with an altered Spanish
passport. On November 2, Air Canada denied another Dominican
national carrying an altered Canadian passport that was reported
stolen at gun point in Canada in February 2009.
7. (SBU) COMMENT: FPU will continue to work with airline and
immigration officials to enhance the exchange of information and
training at Ezeiza in order to detect and deter fraudulent travel.
END COMMENT.
MARTINEZ