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.

BTK killer Dennis Rader’s daughter Kerri Rawson hit with domestic violence injunction: report

Murdered 9-year-old begged not to go on trip with dad months before he allegedly killed her, mom testifies

Thune soft-pedals adding Trump’s request for debt limit curveball to GOP budget bill

Breaking: Iran Launches Missiles at US Base in Surprise Attack – US Forces Downed Every Single One

A 16-Year-Old Lifeguard’s ‘Heroic’ Rescue Earns Him a Trip to the White House After Trump Sees Footage

Daughter of late House Dem forced into runoff after falling short in special election

Mamdani Slammed for ‘Reckless and Foolish’ Doxxing of Thousands of Wealthy New Yorkers

White House Issues Update After High-Stakes Meetings with Netanyahu and Zelenskyy

Putin, Russia put on notice as Senate takes crucial step to grind down the Kremlin’s war machine

Experts scorch Mamdani’s grocery plan as an ‘illusion’ that will have taxpayers footing the bill

Iran has struck 14 Middle Eastern nations. Here’s what they have at stake in the war

Leading economist warns of rise of ‘Gen Z affordability socialism’

Pentagon to Honor Lindsey Graham by Renaming Military Base

Nolan Wells mystery deepens as email indicates teen drank heavily before vanishing

Cracker Barrel CEO Out After Alienating Loyal Customers with Controversial Changes

“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.