SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – An alien from the Dominican Republic will be indicted today in the US District Court, facing charges of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents.

Late Friday night US Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Blanco Ariel De Jesus-Rondón, 23, during a pre-flight inspection at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, during boarding of a flight bound to New York.

Mr. De Jesus-Rondón claimed to be a Legal Permanent Resident and provided CBP officers a passport of the Dominican Republic with a I-551 Adit Stamp, also declaring to be the rightful bearer of the documents.

CBP officers referred the passenger for closer inspection, where further examination revealed that the immigration document did not belong to him. 

On Monday, US District Court Magistrate Judge Bruce McGiverin, read a criminal complaint to the defendant accusing him of possessing documents knowing them to be forged, counterfeited, altered, or falsely made, or to have been procured by means of any false claim or statement, or to have been otherwise procured by fraud or unlawfully obtained.

CBP Enforcement Officers presented the case to the Immigration Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office, which accepted the case for prosecution. 

Assistant United States Attorney Evelyn Canals will prosecute the case.

If convicted the defendant faces a fine or a sentence not more than 10 years or both.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.