Canadian Passport Fraud
Two people, a 40-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man, were taken into custody on April 10th by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers after it was discovered that they were traveling with false Canadian passports. The pair arrived at Dulles from South Africa and displayed their Canadian passports.
Upon arrival in the United States, the passengers both showed officers Canadian passports and said that they were returning to Canada after a vacation in Congo, Africa. However, neither passenger had a Canadian airline ticket. After closer inspection, it was determined that the woman was helping in the smuggling of a Congolese man.
Officers were alerted to the attempted fraud because he did not resemble the man in the passport photo, and his signature was completely different. After being questioned, the Congolese man was unable to discuss nursing to any extent even though he said that he was attending a Canadian nursing college.
The woman was ordered to return to South Africa the next day on April 11th, but the man remained detained due to a credible concern of fear for his life if forced to return. He is currently awaiting an asylum hearing.