C.B.P. News Release

Dulles CBP Removes Guatemalans for U.S. Visa Fraud

(Monday, March 26, 2012)
Sterling, Va., – Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Washington-Dulles International Airport discovered two Guatemalan men with altered visas after they arrived from Panama City, Panama shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday, March 21.

Both men presented themselves to different officers at CBP’s primary inspection upon arrival. Each possessed Guatemalan passports containing U.S. visas. CBP officers suspected the visas had been fraudulently altered and referred both men for a secondary inspection.

During the secondary inspection, CBP officers discovered that the class of admission and expiration date of both visas had been altered. Both visas were originally issued to the men in 2008 as temporary agricultural worker visas expiring the same year. Both were altered to read as temporary visitor visas with an expiration date in 2018.

“Our officers are highly trained and experienced in the examination of documents presented by international travelers,” said Christopher Hess, CBP port director for the Port of Washington. “This is a good example of that training and experience paying off.”

Violating U.S. immigration laws is a serious offense and violators risk being criminally charged. CBP officers processed both men for expedited removal. Each received a five year bar from visiting the U.S.

CBP removed these men in lieu of criminal charges. The Privacy Act prohibits releasing these two traveler’s names since they weren’t criminally charged.

“America is a welcoming nation, but we’d like visitors to enter legally through our front door,” said Hess. “CBP remains committed to facilitating the entry of legitimate visitors while detecting and refusing entry to those that violate our laws.

For more on CBP’s admissions process, please visit the CBP Website ( For International Visitors ) .

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Department of Homeland Security

Dulles CBP Removes Guatemalans for U.S. Visa Fraud - CBP.gov