C.B.P. News Release

Full WHTI Implementation Results in Arrest of Imposter with U.S. Passport

(Tuesday, June 02, 2009)

El Paso, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the El Paso port of entry arrested a Mexican national for making a claim to United States citizenship by presenting a genuine U.S. passport not issued to him. The arrest was made at the Bridge of the Americas international crossing Monday afternoon.

The apprehension was made at approximately 4:15 p.m. when 28-year-old Librado Escobedo-Gonzalez applied for entry into the U.S. from Mexico. The CBP officer noticed an inconsistency in the U.S. passport. Escobedo was escorted to Passport Control secondary inspection for further examination.

U.S. passport used by a Mexican national trying to make illegal entry into the country.

During the course of the inspection, CBP officers discovered Escobedo was an imposter. Escobedo is not the legitimate owner of the passport. CBP officers arrested Escobedo for making a false claim to U.S. Citizenship. Escobedo is being held at the El Paso County Detention facility without bond.

“The requirement for U.S. and Canadian citizens to present a WHTI approved document when entering the United States strengthen our enforcement efforts,â€