El Paso Times

Mexican military: Visa sale scheme lasted 5 years

A ring accused of renting stolen U.S. immigration documents to people wanting to cross the border had been running their lucrative scheme for five years in downtown Juárez, Mexican military officials said. — Mexican soldiers early Wednesday morning arrested the ringleader and three other men outside the Coper hotel in downtown Juárez…

Authorities said the ring would buy stolen U.S. border-crossing documents such as laser visas, legal-resident cards and passports for $200 each from thieves.

In downtown Juárez, the ring would offer its services to people from the interior of Mexico, mostly from the state of Durango. In a room at the hotel, the customers were matched up with a document that had a picture of someone similar in appearance.

Before crossing the border, the customers had to pay $900. After walking across the Paso del Norte Bridge accompanied by a ring member with legal documents, the person was charged the other $900 and had to return the rented document.

For an additional fee of $800 in Downtown El Paso, the ring would put the immigrant in contact with a person who would take them to truck drivers who would then smuggle them to their destination.

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