19 arrested across 4 countries for $2.5 MILLION US visa fraud scheme

Nineteen people were arrested Wednesday in the United States, Colombia, Ecuador, and El Salvador in a coordinated law enforcement operation targeting an alleged transnational visa fraud and money laundering network that authorities say stole more than $2.5 million from victims across Latin America.

US prosecutors said five of those arrested are charged in a federal indictment accusing them of participating in a four-year racketeering scheme that defrauded thousands of Central and South American nationals seeking to work lawfully in the United States. The defendants face charges including racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to defraud the United States by impersonating US officials and misusing and counterfeiting US government seals and insignia.

One defendant was arrested in Sacramento, California, and another in the Dallas-area city of Denton, Texas. Three others were arrested in Medellín, Colombia, and are expected to face extradition proceedings. Authorities said one indicted defendant in Colombia remains at large. Additional arrests in Ecuador and El Salvador were carried out by partner agencies and are expected to result in separate prosecutions in those countries.

Investigators say the scheme began with Facebook pages and websites that advertised help obtaining supposedly legal US work visas. Victims were then guided through what prosecutors describe as an elaborate but fake visa application process. Co-conspirators known as “asesores,” or consultants, allegedly operated out of illegal call centers in Colombia and communicated with victims by phone and electronic messaging, making false claims about jobs that were available or already offered.

Authorities say the deception escalated when conspirators allegedly impersonated US government officials during video calls and persuaded victims to make international wire transfers. The payments were described as required US fees but were routed instead to intermediaries in at least 16 US states. Victims were allegedly shown counterfeit documents, such as fake visa approvals and employment authorizations, bearing replicas of US government seals. The money was then laundered through multiple transfers as it moved from US-based intermediaries back to alleged enterprise leaders, prosecutors said.

Some victims were told they had appointments at US embassies in their home countries to obtain valid visas, investigators said. Many traveled long distances to embassies for appointments that did not exist. Officials said no legitimate visas or services were ever provided.

Law enforcement has interviewed about 700 victims to date and believes more than 7,000 additional people may have been drawn into the fraud. Reported losses range from approximately $50 to $90,000 per person. Investigators estimate that from roughly 2021 to the present, about $2.5 million was sent from victims in up to 15 countries to the United States in connection with the scheme.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti said the defendants are accused of “masquerading as United States officials” to enrich themselves at the expense of individuals trying to follow lawful immigration pathways, adding that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue schemes that undermine immigration laws and public confidence in government processes.

Chief Joseph Jung of the Diplomatic Security Service’s Overseas Criminal Investigations Division said the operation demonstrated the strength of international partnerships and efforts to protect the integrity of US travel documents. Homeland Security Investigations officials said the case dismantled a sophisticated, multi-country fraud operation that targeted migrants attempting to enter the United States legally, while the USAID Office of Inspector General said it worked with law enforcement counterparts to disrupt criminal activity and ensure consequences for defrauding the United States.

The Oct. 1, 2025, indictment in the Southern District of Florida names Edwin Alberto Correa-David, Andres Giraldo-Ospina, Danna Pamela Porras-Marin, Esteban Robledo-Correa, Julian Giraldo-Ospina, and Viviana Urrego-Rojas. Prosecutors allege Correa-David supervised multiple call centers in Medellín and helped determine which fraudulent websites to use, what to charge victims, and which US intermediaries would receive funds. Giraldo-Ospina is accused of creating and supporting fraudulent websites and overseeing additional call centers over time, while Porras-Marin allegedly managed a Medellín call center and handled administrative and website-related work. Robledo-Correa, prosecutors say, began as a US-based intermediary who recruited others to receive and forward victim funds, later returning to Colombia to help manage call centers; authorities said he remains a fugitive.

Julian Giraldo-Ospina, arrested in Sacramento, is accused of overseeing intermediaries laundering money in the Sacramento area and partnering with his brother, Andres, in leading a Medellín-based center. Urrego-Rojas, arrested in Denton, is accused of coordinating intermediaries who received victim money and relayed the funds back to Colombia.

Officials said the investigation involved multiple US agencies, including the Diplomatic Security Service, Homeland Security Investigations, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, and USAID/OIG, with significant assistance from law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in Colombia, Ecuador, and El Salvador.