San Juan, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested yesterday three aliens attempting to board domestic flights to Boston and Philadelphia using fraudulent documents to conceal their illegal status in the country.
In separate incidents, Cesar Gomes-De Oliveira, 31, a citizen of Brazil; Magaly Ogando--Piña, 39, a citizen of the Dominican Republic; and Alexander Manuel Gomez-Rodas, 24, a citizen of El Salvador; were arrested by CBP officers on separate flights at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.
All three defendants appeared today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Bruce McGiverin facing criminal complaints for attempting to travel with fraudulent documents.
On Sunday, Mr. Gomes-De Oliveira, attempting to board a Jet Blue Airlines flight bound to Boston, presented CBP officers a Puerto Rico Driver’s license under the name “Exno. J. Pacheco-Flores”, claiming to be the its rightful owner.
CBP Officers referred the passenger to secondary inspection where a query of his fingerprints revealed that he was previously apprehended near Pearsall, Texas by Border Patrol on March 27, 2009, and was apprehended a second time on August 19, 2011 near Laredo, Texas. He was subsequently removed from the United States on September 21, 2011.
Mr. Gomes-De Oliveira admitted that he received the documents from an unidentified individual after paying $1,500. He faces criminal charges for re-entry as a previously removed alien.
On the same flight to Boston, Ms. Ogando-Piña presented CBP officers with a Puerto Rico driver’s license under the name “Ilianet Pacheco-Diaz”, claiming to be the rightful owner.
CBP officers referred the passenger to secondary inspection as the document appeared to be not genuine. At secondary she admitted her true identity as a citizen and a national of the Dominican Republic and that she entered the United States without inspection on or about 2005, obtaining the driver’s license from an unidentified individual for $700.00.
Ms. Ogando-Piña faces criminal charges for fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents, authentication features, and information.
Mr. Gomez-Rodas, pre-boarding a US Airways Airline flight to Philadelphia, presented CBP officers with a New Jersey identification card under the name of “Xavier Diaz”, claiming to be the rightful owner of the document.
CBP officers referred Mr. Gomez-Rodas to secondary inspection, where he presented a Puerto Rico birth certificate and a Social Security card under the full name of “Xavier Diaz-Gonzalez”, as proof of identify.
After further examination, the defendant admitted his real identity as Alexander Manuel Gomez-Rodas, a citizen of El Salvador, and stated that he entered the United States without inspection on or about 2004 near San Diego, California.
He faces criminal charges for fraud or misuse of visa or other government documents.
Federal regulations authorize CBP officers to conduct immigration inspections prior to the departure of flights originating from U.S. territories destined directly and without touching at a foreign port or place, to any other of such places, or to one of the states of the United States or the District of Columbia.
CBP Enforcement officers presented the cases to the Immigration Unit of the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico for prosecution.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelley L. Tiffany will prosecute the case.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
