Nearly 100 Indicted, 50 In Custody After Ice Uncovers Large-Scale Marriage Fraud Scheme

Authorities indicted 96 people and arrested 50 for a marriage fraud operation allegedly taking place in Vietnam and Houston.

A months-long Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) probe uncovered a criminal operation that enabled numerous foreign nationals to fraudulently obtain legal immigration status in the U.S., according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement press release Monday.

Under the alleged terms of conspiracy, immigrant beneficiaries would pay around $50,000 to $70,000 to get married and score permanent resident status. The marriages were complete shams, according to the April indictment.

The spouses typically met only briefly before they obtained their marriage licenses and did not live together after becoming a “married” couple. The criminal operation behind the marriages would go so far as to produce fake wedding albums and falsified tax, utility and employment information — all in an effort to convince USCIS to approve the forms.

Dozens of Dem Lawmakers Push to Make Sure Parents Can’t Tell If Kids’ TV Shows Push Transgender Ideology

Illegal Alien Teacher Arrested for Allegedly Aiding Tren de Aragua Mass Shooting

Trump endorsement streak gets unusual boost with South Carolina GOP governor nomination

Trump scores major win as Congress passes housing crackdown on Wall Street investors

Authors of new Trump book reveal his health is the one mystery they couldn’t crack

Ultra-Orthodox Jews become political football for Netanyahu

Former SLED investigator who testified at Alex Murdaugh trial fired from Charleston County Sheriff’s Office

Senators unveil bipartisan bill to safeguard children from AI chatbots

Brooklyn coffee shop that targeted Jewish congressman faces DOJ probe after reported tax, health code issues

Nearby Residents Told to Stay Inside as Semi Carrying Millions of Bees Overturns

Senate Schedule Rearranged as Mitch McConnell Is Set to Miss Another Full Week of Voting

Republicans break with Trump to rebuke Iran war — but it won’t change policy

DHS demands New York sanctuary politicians honor detainer for man convicted of raping corpse on subway

Marjorie Taylor Greene follows Tucker Carlson in ditching the ‘America Last’ Republican Party

Iranian leaders project newfound confidence with international travel spree

“These arrests mark the culmination of a comprehensive yearlong multi-agency investigation into one of the largest alleged marriage fraud conspiracies ever documented in the Houston area,” Special HSI Agent in Charge Mark Dawson said in a Monday statement. “By working together with our partners from various federal law enforcement agencies, we have sent a resounding message that we are united in our effort to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations that seek to circumvent U.S. law by fraudulent means.”

The indictment alleges Ashley Yen Nguyen, 53, was the leader of the criminal scheme and had operatives working throughout Texas and Vietnam.

People involved in the conspiracy allegedly recruited U.S. citizens to act as marriage petitioners, who would then receive a cut of the proceeds from the beneficiary spouses. Several people who were recruited as petitioners eventually became recruiters themselves.

Marriage fraud or conspiracy to commit marriage fraud carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. The other charges — including mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and tampering with a witness, informant or victim — all carry the possibility of 20 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury returned the indictment on April 30.