HOMELAND Security Investigations said it arrested two employees of A&A Enterprise CNMI LLC Friday on charges of visa fraud and conspiracy.
Alejandro Nario, 65, and Mylene Casupanan, 42, both citizens of the Republic of the Philippines, were taken into custody, without incident, for their involvement in a visa fraud scheme, according to an HSI statement on Monday.
HSI said its investigation found that A&A Enterprise petitioned and submitted false documents for more than 100 foreign nationals using the CW-1 visa. The program allows employers in the CNMI to apply for permission to employ those who are ineligible to work under other nonimmigrant worker categories.
HSI agents also discovered that a significant number of the foreign workers were not given jobs once they arrived in CNMI and were instructed to pay A&A Enterprise for their employment taxes, which were based on fictitious wages.
This is an HSI led investigation with significant cooperation from CNMI Department of Public Safety and CNMI Customs Service, HSI stated.
In a separate statement to Variety, HSI public affairs officer James Curry, who is based in Honolulu, said, “We have presence in the CNMI as it is part of our area of responsibility.”
Asked about HSI investigations in the CNMI, Curry said: “What we’ve been seeing lately is visa fraud. We have had a few drug cases and a couple money laundering investigations. Human trafficking is another violation that is prevalent.”
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
You can follow HSI Honolulu on Twitter @HSIHonolulu.
