Fourteen Individuals Charged With Conspiracy To Commit Marriage Fraud And Related Immigration Fraud Charges

Fourteen individuals have been charged by federal indictment with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and related immigration fraud charges.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and Linda M. Swacina, District Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made the announcement.

Odalys Marrero, 51, of  Kendall, Rolando Mulet, 62, of Kendall, Katiusca Elena Aguilar Navarro, 28, of Doral, Carlos Alberto  Mederos Paule, 46, of Miami, Manuel Andres Gomez, 46, of Wilton Manors, Virginia De La Caridad Mederos Paule, 57, of Miami, Elisabet Kerese Alvarez, 38, of Aventura, Osvaldo Lastre Duran, 48, of Sweetwater, Natacha Perera, 44, of North Miami, Javier Manejias, 51, of Antioch, TN, Marianelly Auxiliado Rodriguez, 48, of Doral, Rafael Abreu Gonzalez, 46, of Hialeah, Okyvi Olmar Yoll Mesa, 35, of Doral, and Salvador L Cabanas, 44, of Kendall, have been charged by federal indictment with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and related immigration fraud charges.

According to the indictment, between December 2009 and July 2014, organizers, Marrero and Mulet recruited Cuban citizens eligible for lawful permanent residence under the Cuban Adjustment Act to enter into fraudulent marriages with aliens for the purpose of evading the immigration laws of the United States. Marrero and Mulet charged the aliens a fee to arrange the fraudulent marriages, notarized the fraudulent marriage licenses, completed the necessary immigration paperwork, and prepared the co-conspirators for their interviews with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Aliens Aguilar Navarro, Andres Gomez, Kerese Alvarez, Perera, Auxiliado Rodriguez, and Yoll Mesa, all paid a fee to enter into fraudulent marriages with Alberto Mederos Paule, Virginia De la Caridad Mederos Paule, Lastre Duran, Manejias, Abreu Gonzalez, and Cabanas. These fraudulent marriages took place in the Southern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Ferrer stated, “Immigration fraud is a serious crime that undermines our nation’s immigration system and can pose a risk to our security.  Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these crimes and prosecute those individuals who seek to perpetrate fraudulent immigration schemes.”

"These arrests serve as a reminder that America's legal immigration system is not for sale," said Alysa D. Erichs, special agent in charge of ICE-HSI in Miami. "HSI will not tolerate the exploitation of our country's immigration system. We will work aggressively to investigate and bring to justice those who seek to compromise the integrity of that system for personal profit or to evade immigration laws."

“USCIS has no tolerance for immigration fraud,” said Linda Swacina, Director for the USCIS Miami District. “Anyone tempted to take advantage of America’s hospitality needs to understand that USCIS is committed to ensuring the integrity of our nation’s immigration system and along with our law enforcement partners will prosecute those committing fraud to the fullest extent of the law.”

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and USCIS, who provided significant and valuable support to this investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Emery.

An indictment is only an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.