REQUEST FOR DS AND DHS ASSISTANCE WITH ALBANIAN COMMANDO

UNCLAS TIRANA 000113

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR CA/FPP; DS/ICI/CR; DS/CR/VF; DS/CR/CIL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS SMIG KFRD ASEC AL
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR DS AND DHS ASSISTANCE WITH ALBANIAN COMMANDO
FRAUD RING


1. SUMMARY. Albanian Commando soldiers returning from military
service in Iraq have applied at U.S. Embassy Tirana for tourist
visas to visit friends and family in the United States. Many of
these soldiers have presented letters of invitation from former U.S.
Government contractors and military personnel whom they met in Iraq.
Each of the applicants submitted documentation from a commanding
officer stating that they are active duty military with a short
period of authorized leave. None of the soldiers issued visas have
returned to Albania. Post requests assistance from DS and DHS in
combating this fraud. END SUMMARY.


2. In the last two years, the U.S. Embassy Tirana has had more than
20 Albanian Commando soldiers apply for tourist visas to the United
States. Initially Post had concerns that visa refusals would
provide public affairs issues during President Bush's visit to
Albania in June 2007, as he was scheduled to meet with Albanian
Commando soldiers returning from Iraq. But after the issuance of
several visas, Post witnessed a surge in applications. Each of the
applicants requested a brief visit to family or to U.S. contractors
or military personnel they met while serving in Iraq. Eight
applicants received visas in 2007 and 2008. One of the visas was
physically cancelled before the applicant traveled, and another was
turned around by CBP. Of the six applicants still remaining in the
United States, three are now present illegally and the other three
have applied for adjustment of status with USCIS. Based on their
success in remaining or adjusting status, Post fears that it will
continue to see increased numbers of Albanian Commando applicants
seeking visas for reasons other than official training.


3. Corruption is prevalent in all sectors of Albanian society, and
the consular section's recent experience has demonstrated that the
Albanian military is no exception. Each of the applicants who were
issued tourist visas and traveled were active duty military, but
they all abandoned their military commitments within days to travel
permanently to the United States. Information received at Post
indicates that when the Albanian military does not strictly enforce
attendance and AWOL policies, it often involves corruption. In some
cases, an active duty soldier who goes AWOL might never face
discipline because the commanding officer responsible for reporting
the violation may just collect the absent soldier's salary rather
than reporting the violation. As a result, the consular section now
can place little faith in a military service commitment as a tie to
Albania for purposes of overcoming section 214(b) in a tourist visa
interview.

KBR Personnel


4. The majority of the Albanian Commando tourist visa applicants
have applied for visas to visit one of two U.S. citizens who worked
with Kellog Brown and Root (KBR) in Iraq. Seven applicants have
applied to visit U.S. citizen Matthew Woodford Vinson III, a KBR
employee in Mosul, Iraq in 2006. Mr. Vinson has provided letters
stating that he had met the applicants in Mosul when they served on
his security team. Matthew Vinson listed his address as 721 Tucker
Street, Apt. D, Raleigh, NC 27603, with a home phone of (919)
802-5616 and cell (919) 730-3028.


5. After several applicants were refused to visit Mr. Vinson,
applicants began presenting invitations from Kendra Evers, another
former KBR employee and U.S. citizen who is apparently from
Washington state but currently working in Fort Bliss, Texas. Ms.
Evers listed 509-884-3155 as her telephone number, and her address
was listed on the applications as 1601 Eastmont Avenue, East
Wenatchee, WA 98812.

The successful applicants


6. The following six individuals are all still present in the
United States, although one has already successfully adjusted status
and two others have pending applications with USCIS to extend or
adjust their status. Three are present illegally and their
whereabouts are unknown.


7. Mirjan Xhixha (DOB 17MAY1983) was issued a one entry, three
month validity visa on May 17, 2007, annotated to visit Mr. Vinson
in North Carolina. He entered the United States on May 25, 2007,
and is apparently still present illegally.


8. Alfred Dani (DOB 19JUN1981) was first refused a tourist visa on
August 15, 2007, to visit Mr. Vinson in North Carolina. He spoke no
English and had no documentation. He returned for a second
application on October 18, 2007, and was subsequently issued a
tourist visa by another officer after he presented a letter which
stated that he was still active duty in the Albanian military. He
was issued a one entry, three month visa. He entered the United
States on October 26, 2007, and currently has an I-539 application
pending to extend or adjust status, although he failed to respond to
USCIS' request for initial evidence on December 1, 2008.


9. Alban Kadhe (DOB17APR1982) applied to visit Mr. Vinson on
November 27, 2007. He received a one entry, three month visa with
no annotation. He entered the United States on December 8, 2007,
and is apparently still present illegally.


10. Gentjan Noka (DOB 31DEC1976) was issued a one entry, three
month visa to visit Mr. Vinson on January 4, 2008. He stated that
his wife was pregnant and expecting their first child in several
months, so he would not stay more than a few weeks. The
interviewing consular officer verified with the Albanian military
that he was active duty. He presented invitation documents from Mr.
Vinson and his Albanian commanding officer authorizing his leave.
He entered the United States on January 26, 2008, and is apparently
still present illegally.


11. Ervin Korra (DOB15APR1986) (A 87-324-670) was issued a one
entry, three month visa on August 27, 2007, to visit his aunt Farije
Korra in Brooklyn. He claimed that he had one month of sick leave
from the Albanian military. He entered the United States on
September 9, 2007, and applied to adjust status with USCIS on April
23, 2008. In January 2008, Mr. Korra's sister Valbona Korra and her
husband were refused visas to visit him. Additionally, another
Commando named Blerim Xhaja has applied twice to visit members of
the Korra family in Brooklyn. It is highly suspected that Ervin's
marriage for adjustment of status to Christina Paone is fraudulent,
as his other family members knew nothing of it when they applied for
visas. Additionally, the mailing address used by Christina Paone
with USCIS of 1710 77th Street, Apt. D4, Brooklyn, NY 11214, is
actually that of Ibrahim Korra, Ervin's uncle.


12. Ajet Aruci (DOB 05MAR1982) was issued a multiple entry one year
visa on January 16, 2008, to visit his friend Kendra Evers in
Washington State for one month. He stated that he still had several
years remaining with the Albanian military and had no immediate
family in the United States. He entered the United States on
February 18, 2008, and never departed. He applied to adjust to
student status and his application was approved by USCIS in October
2008 and he is currently active in Sevis as attending the City
University of New York.


13. Two additional Albanian Commando soldiers received visas but
are no longer currently present in the United States. Altin Vladi
(DOB 13JAN1982) was issued a one year visa on June 16, 2008, to
visit Kendra Evers. He had not yet used the visa on November 26,
2008, when his wife Alseda Vladi (21JUL1986) applied to visit Ms.
Evers as well. Altin's still valid visa was cancelled by the
interviewing Consular Officer, and his wife was refused, and
therefore he was unable to travel to the United States.


14. Besnik Dine (DOB 02JAN1985) was issued a one year visa on March
20, 2007. He spent six months in the United States from April 6,
2007 to October 2, 2007. When he tried to re-enter the United
States for a second time on October 18, 2007, he was placed by CBP
into secondary at JFK airport, where he admitted to having worked
without authorization during his previous stay. He was
expeditiously removed and is no longer present in the United
States.


15. Matthew Vinson and Kendra Evers assisted these soldiers in
obtaining visas to work and live in the United States. It is not
known what their motivation was for providing this assistance. Post
now requests that DS and DHS investigate Mr. Vinson and Ms. Evers
for their possible smuggling activities. Post also requests
assistance in locating and removing the Albanian Commandos present
illegally. Sending a message of enforcement to the Albanian
military community could serve as a strong deterrent against future
fru dulent NIV applications. Post therefore requeststthat this
information be referred to the fraud ui(ts at DS, USCIS and ICE for
assistance.


16. FFor any further information, please contact the RSO or the
Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Tirana.

END

WITHERS