Man arrested at Peace Bridge;falsely claims US citizenship

Man arrested at Peace Bridge
Posted By ALISON LANGLEY
Posted 15 hours ago


Making a false claim of citizenship proved costly for a bus passenger on the Peace Bridge, Sunday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents questioned the man after the commercial bus crossed the bridge into Buffalo, N.Y.

The man gave officers a Georgia driver’s license, photocopies of a Puerto Rican birth certificate and a page from a United States passport as proof of his identity and citizenship.

He told border officials he was a U.S. citizen living in Georgia and was returning home after visiting family in Canada.

During a secondary interview, CBP officers checked the man’s fingerprints, which revealed his true identity.

The passenger was in fact a 32 year-old citizen of Colombia who had no legal immigration status to enter or remain in the U.S., said Kevin Corsaro, CBP spokesman.

The man now faces charges of making a false claim of U.S. citizenship, fraud, and misrepresentation.

“Full implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will require travelers to present a secure document meeting both identity and citizenship requirements for cross-border travel through land and sea ports of entry,â€