Cincinnati CBP Intercepts Thousands of Fraudulent and Counterfeit Documents During Fiscal Year 2023

CINCINNATI–-U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati spent part of Fiscal Year 2023 (October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023) intercepting and identifying more than 6,800 documents, a 219% increase over Fiscal Year 2022. The documents were counterfeit, fraudulent, stolen, or associated with known or suspected criminals or criminal activity.

“The ability to recognize a counterfeit or fraudulent document can assist law enforcement in numerous ways,” said Supervisory CBP Officer Jeremy Clark. “Identifying a key individual can help build a case or solve a crime.”

Documents shed light on illegal activity, piece together connections between criminal or suspect criminal entities and enterprises, and contribute to a better understanding of criminal actions linked to terrorists and traffickers. For example, the Cincinnati documents teams found many passports reported as lost or stolen by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and foreign government agencies. They also found altered vehicle titles and counterfeit drivers licenses and social security cards.

When officers intercepted a shipment of Bangladeshi and Brazilian identification documents, all subjects were determined to be living illegally in the U.S. Ultimately, the documents were connected to a member of a transnational criminal organization who was wanted by Brazilian Federal Police for various human smuggling and human trafficking crimes.

Other documents were destined to an individual with terrorist associations who had been smuggled into the U.S. This individual is currently in custody pending deportation.

Officers intercepted 70 shipments containing identification documents headed to Raul Saucedo-Huipio, who, along with human smuggler Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, charged migrants tens of thousands of dollars to illegally enter the U.S., often to be robbed by Salas and his cohorts. Hernandez-Salas and Saucedo-Huipo were arrested in March following large-scale U.S.-Mexico task force efforts involving INTERPOL, Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Cuidadana (FESC), and Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA).

“Our officers analyze documents on a daily basis and are familiar with global patterns and trends,” said Acting Assistant Area Port Director Eric Zizelman. “Their ability to detect fraudulent documents or make connections to illicit activity increases our ability to assist other law enforcement agencies and foreign governments to identify associates or locations of criminals or wanted persons.”

CBP shares relevant information with other U.S. and foreign government agencies to assist ongoing investigations, exchange information, and improve standards for travel documents worldwide. In addition to obtaining and sharing critical information with authorities about dangerous criminals, officers remove all counterfeit, fraudulent, lost, stolen, and altered travel documents from circulation.

CBP’s Fraudulent Document Analysis Unit (FDAU) serves as a central repository and point of analysis for all fraudulent travel documents intercepted or recovered by CBP personnel. FDAU analysis of fraudulent travel documents provides intelligence and training back to the field, a cyclical process that adds another layer of security to CBP’s strong frontline.

“Our officers have applied their expertise and knowledge of all our available technologies to better secure our citizens and the citizens of countries around the world,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Chicago Director of Field Operations. “Their dedication to the safety of all law-abiding people is apparent in the thousands of illicit and counterfeit documents they have intercepted over the course of this fiscal year.”

Follow CBP on X @CBPChicago and @DFOChicago.