Major Visa Fraud Arrest in Sao Paulo

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000521 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED-PROTECT ACCORDINGLY STATE FOR CA/FPP AND DS/CR/OCI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFRD CVIS ASEC BR SUBJECT: Major Visa Fraud Arrest in Sao Paulo ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On Sept. 23, 2008, a joint Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU)/Assistant Regional Security Officer Investigator (ARSO-I) investigation resulted in the detention of a document producer, a document vendor and three non-immigrant visa applicants. Police were filing charges against them for respectively producing, selling and submitting packages of fake supporting documents in furtherance of fraudulently obtaining Non-Immigrant United States visas. The applicants gave statements, and the vendor and producer were charged under Brazilian Law with Article 171, Fraud. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On Friday, September 19, 2008, RSO assets advised FPU that five individuals who had purchased document packages from a known vendor, Luis Carlos de Aguiar, were applying for visas. When the individuals appeared at pre-screening, their documents were sent to the FPU for analysis. FPU contacted ARSO-I, but local police were unavailable, so the documents were retained and the applicants refused under 221g with a request to return the following Monday. The information from the applications - business names, phone numbers, children's schools, and address - were entered as Consular Consolidated Database Watchphrase Alerts. The five individuals did not return on Monday. ¶3. (SBU) On Tuesday, the applications of six additional applicants (three adults presenting applications for themselves and three minor children not present) matched to the Watchphrase Alerts. Their documentation was collected by FPU and the case passed to ARSO-I. ARSO-I contacted the Brazilian civil police, who swiftly responded. In the meantime, FPU obtained confirmation that the documentation for the banks and schools was false. ¶4. (SBU) After the applicants were denied and left the Consulate grounds, police took them into custody. The applicants led the police into the Blue Planet Travel Agency, directly across the street from the public consular section entrance. The "travel agency" (the city of Sao Paulo indicated it has no business license) was set to open the next day. The three applicants admitted to paying the "travel agency" owner, Luis Carlos de Aguiar, the equivalent of USD 24,000, collectively, for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining United States tourist visas. Inside Blue Planet Travel, police found Luis Carlos, a small staff, and evidence implicating him in this fraudulent activity. Luis Carlos was arrested on charges of Article 171 Fraud, and en route to the police station, confessed to purchasing the documents from Estevan Da Silva, who was also found and taken into custody. ¶5. (SBU) A Text Search of telephone numbers associated with Luis Carlos de Augiar indicate he had been operating for roughly 12 months. Prior to September 23, 31 clients were identified, 17 of whom were issued visas and 14 refused. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: The detection and arrest of this document vendor resulted from the close collaboration between FPU, ARSO-I, and excellent cooperation from the Civil Police in Sao Paulo. It also illustrates the immense value of the CCD Watchphrase Alert feature. End Comment. WHITE