Press Releases
ILLEGAL ALIEN SENTENCED FOR UNLAWFUL SALE OF TRANSPORTATION WORKER SECURITY CREDENTIALS
October 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RAUL GARCIA, age 29, a resident of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court by U. S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to approximately eight months imprisonment, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Lemmon ordered that GARCIA be placed on two years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of his supervised release.
According to court documents, on July 8, 2009, GARCIA pled guilty to one count of an indictment admitting the he knowingly transferred false Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC), knowing that such documents were produced without lawful authority, and the false identification documents appear to have been issued by or under the authority of the United States.
United States Attorney Jim Letten noted that this prosecution is the first of its kind charging the illegal sale of fraudulent transport workers security credentials in the country, noting:
“This conviction of an individual who potentially endangered the security of the United States by selling a bogus document which had been designed to ensure the safety and security of our transportation industries, is evidence of two things:
• First, the importance of maintaining vigilance in ensuring that access to secure areas of maritime facilities and vessels is limited to those individuals who have specific clearance and authorization; and
• Second, the absolute and unswerving determination of federal law enforcement and our local partners to do whatever is necessary to protect the security of our critical transportation facilities and industry.
Katrina Berger, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Office of Investigations in New Orleans added:
“This type of document fraud wholly undermines a system that was carefully designed to allow workers to come to the U. S. because their particular skills are needed in our market. We will continue working with our partners to prosecute and seek punishment for those who seek to corrupt this system to take advantage of our national labor and immigration policies.”
The case was investigated jointly by U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the
U. S. Coast Guard Investigative Service with the assistance of U. S. Customs and Border Protection and the Greater Lafourche Port Commission Harbor Police. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U. S. Attorney Robert Weir.
