Criminal gang dismantled in Colombia that cheated the U.S. embassy with visa applications

Colombian authorities managed to uncover and dismantle a criminal organization that deceived the U.S. embassy with false documents so that anyone who hired their services could obtain a U.S. visa.

As reported by the Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJÍN), the gang, which operated from the municipality of Manatí, in the department of Atlántico, was discovered after a woman arrived at the embassy with a folder full of documents that allegedly evidenced her luxurious lifestyle, including a university degree, labor certificates, a passport full of stamps from several countries and even documents showing her as the owner of a farm. The official did not believe the information in the papers and considered it important to initiate an investigation.

Soon after, the woman's documents were proven to be forgeries, and from there the authorities realized that she was not the only person who had done something similar, and discovered that behind the forgeries was a criminal gang. The authorities were able to capture four members of the organization and obtain "sufficient evidentiary material" to dismantle it.

Reports indicate that the gang members' belongings included 200 false visa documents, 36 passports, 16 identity documents, 33 immigration stamps, seven credit cards, five cell phones, lawyers' business cards, among others.

A review of the information revealed another 30 cases with profiles similar to that of the woman. However, the authorities reported that they are still investigating, as they believe that the number of cases could increase considerably due to the fact that the organization had been operating for two decades. For the time being, the U.S. embassy is already reviewing at least 1,500 suspicious visas and if more cases of deception are found the documents will be revoked, according to sources from the Dijín, as explained to SEMANA.