| June 12, 2006 Bureau of Diplomatic Security IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12, 2006 Working in close cooperation with Diplomatic Security Special Agents at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, the elite Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Kenyan Police Department arrested 77 individuals for suspected fraud involving the use of sham marriages to manipulate the U.S. Diversity Visa (DV) Program. "Operation Ghost Marriage" is believed to have prevented 39 bogus "spouses" of DV beneficiaries from illegally immigrating to the United States and resulted in the arrests of two ringleaders who are charged in Kenya with having engineered the scam for financial gain. Those arrested are suspected of organizing and participating in a ring that paired would-be illegal U.S. immigrants with legitimate Kenyan winners of the State Department’s annual diversity visa lottery. The winners were paid to claim sham wives and children who would be eligible to enter the U.S. as dependents. A confidential informant supplied information to the U.S. Embassy about the marriage fraud scam. An investigation by Diplomatic Security special agents and investigators at the Embassy led to the conclusion that a large fraud ring was at work. Based on information developed in the investigation, Kenyan police arrested the suspect visa applicants. At present, both the U.S. and Kenyan security officials continue to gather additional evidence to be used in support of the Kenyan prosecution. Joe D. Morton, Director of the Diplomatic Security Service said, "The dedication of the Kenyan Criminal Investigations Division is exemplary. We look forward to continuing our work together to deter fraud and prosecute those who prey on the unwary." Diplomatic Security is a worldwide law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. Department of State with special agents assigned to U.S. diplomatic missions overseas and field offices throughout the United States. Diplomatic Security special agents conduct passport and visa fraud investigations worldwide and are responsible for security at 285 U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world. Contact: Special Agent Laurie Darlow [Released by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Public Affairs]
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