Diplomatic Security Criminal Investigations

Statistics

• In the first 11 months of FY06 DS had nearly 1200 arrests globally, primarily for passport and visa fraud. This includes 450 arrests overseas in cooperation with foreign police.
• In addition, DS overseas criminal investigators provided training to more than 3600 personnel overseas (foreign police, security officials, airport personnel, embassy staff, etc.)

Investigations 

• An investigation of an FSN from the American Consulate in Casablanca for visa fraud recently resulted in a guilty verdict in New York for 15 counts of visa fraud. The FSN will be sentenced later this year and faces up to seven years in prison.
• DS is currently working on several complex marriage fraud investigations including Operation Morning Glory in Utah which resulted in 23 arrests and Operation Mei Paradise in New York that recently resulted in 8 indictments and 5 arrests.
• Since 2004 DS has been a member of the Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Fund. This new capability enhances the ability to more effectively investigate and prosecute complex financial investigations such as businesses and individuals involved in work visa or other fraud. On September 7, the co-conspirator in a DS work visa fraud case was arrested. One of the targets in this investigation is negotiating a plea that will likely result in 3-5 years in prison along with a seizure of around $1 million in assets.
• Earlier this week DS was informed that the RSO and staff in Indonesia are to receive an award from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association for their work in Operation Triple X, a joint DS-Indonesian Police investigation of travel document fraud in Surabaya, Indonesia. To date this operation has resulted in 82 arrests, 19 fraudulent document groups shut down and identified numerous persons who attempted to obtain illegal entry into the U.S. 45 persons made it to the US illegally. 6 of these have been apprehended and returned to Indonesia, 3 are currently in US jails on U.S. Criminal charges.

Fugitives

• So far in 2006 DS has been instrumental in the return of more than 70 fugitives to the U.S. DS is on pace to match last year’s total of 112 fugitives returned. These cases are worked by DS primarily in conjunction with the US Marshals but also in cooperation with the FBI and local law enforcement agencies.