Four individuals, three women, and one man have been granted bail at $80,000 each after being charged with visa fraud. The group appeared before Master Shabana Shah on July 4, where they did not enter a plea as the charges were laid indictably. They are set to return to court on April 24, 2025, for a sufficiency hearing.
The arrests of the four suspects were facilitated by the diplomatic security service of the US Embassy, according to a statement released on July 3. One of the accused, a 24-year-old woman, was apprehended at the embassy located on Marli Street, Port of Spain. Meanwhile, a 63-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman were arrested at their residences on July 2. The fourth suspect, a 34-year-old woman, was taken into custody at her home on July 3.
These arrests were made on grounds of providing fraudulent documentation in support of visa applications and falsely representing themselves as TTPS police officers when submitting paperwork to US Embassy Port of Spain consular officials.
US Ambassador Candace Bond highlighted the collaboration between the TTPS and the US Embassy’s federal agents with the Diplomatic Security Service. Bond emphasized that anyone attempting to deceive or falsify documents to obtain a US visa will face consequences. Committing fraud during the US visa application process will lead to permanent ineligibility for a tourist visa.
In light of these events, the embassy advised the public to visit the legitimate websites for details on the visa application process and warned against paying individuals who promise to assist in obtaining a US visa. It was stressed that only US Embassy consular officers can adjudicate visa applications.
