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Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Evil terrorist ties of migrant who lied to the U.S. government when he fled a war-torn nation
An Afghan man charged with lying about serving with the US military on his immigration papers has been identified as a member of a feared terrorist group. Dilbar Gul Dilbar, 33, who was arrested in New York this month and charged with lying to get a visa, has now been linked to the Haqqani Network, an armed Islamist group. Dilbar's alleged terrorist ties were revealed when prosecutors filed papers this week, saying his fingerprints were found on plans for a potential attack in Afghanistan in 2011. US intelligence officers apparently knew of Dilbar's terrorist ties and fraudulent visa claims all along, and let him to enter the US so they could build a case against him. His arrest raises tough questions about America's responsibility to provide sanctuary to Afghans who helped them there, as well as ongoing threats of terrorists entering the US. It comes as US President Donald Trump mounts a harsh crackdown on illegal immigration into the US, a hot button issue during the 2024 election. Dilbar, 33, came to the US with his wife and young children last year on a special immigration visa (SIV), reserved for Afghan and Iraqi interpreters who assisted US forces and diplomats. The dad-of-five was arrested at a home in Rochester, New York, charged with submitting false documents in 2021 to obtain the visa. He previously applied in 2016, but had been denied. US Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland remanded him in custody as a potential flight risk. He's accused of submitting a bogus employment letter from a US-based firm in his application in 2021, in the run-up to the collapse of the Afghan government and a chaotic US withdrawal. Dilbar's SIV application was approved in March 2024, according to paperwork, and he applied for and was issued a green card in July. This week, it was revealed that 'it is not a typical visa fraud case,' a filing by prosecutors says. 'The defendant was ineligible for an Afghan SIV not only because he submitted fraudulent employment documentation but also because he was linked to the Haqqani Network,' says the 11-pager. The Pentagon has declassified details since his court hearing that link him to a terrorist plot in Afghanistan, say the papers, which were first reported on by Court Watch. They refer to evidence uncovered at a crime scene in Afghanistan in 2011 by the Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center. 'One piece of evidence was a handwritten note. The note contained a series of letters and numbers, possibly the coordinates of a planned terrorist attack,' says the filing. 'The defendant's fingerprint was on the note.' Dilbar awaits trial on the visa fraud charge, for which he faces 10 years behind bars. The Department of Justice has been contacted for further information about his case. It is not clear what Haqqani network plans or attacks Dilbar may have been involved in, or at what level. The militant group is one of the most powerful and feared groups in the Afghan insurgency, blamed for major attacks during the 20-year war. The US mounted its war in Afghanistan to dismantle the Taliban and al-Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks. The US withdrew its forces completely in 2021, leaving Afghanistan in turmoil and the Taliban back in control.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Texas duo, law firm and business entity indicted in "massive, multi-year immigration fraud scheme," prosecutors say
Two Texas residents, a law firm, and a business entity have been indicted for allegedly orchestrating a visa fraud scheme, submitting false applications to help non-citizens unlawfully enter and remain in the U.S., according to federal prosecutors. Abdul Hadi Murshid, 39, and Muhammad Salman Nasir, 35, both originally from Pakistan, were indicted along with the Law Offices of D. Robert Jones PLLC and Reliable Ventures, Inc., as part of an alleged multi-year immigration fraud operation, prosecutors said. Financial motive alleged Getty Images Prosecutors allege that Murshid and Nasir, along with the law firm and business entity, orchestrated the scheme for financial gain. The indictment alleges the defendants exploited the EB-2, EB-3, and H-1B visa programs by placing classified ads for fake jobs to satisfy Department of Labor requirements. After fraudulently obtaining labor certifications, they filed petitions with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to secure visas and green cards for visa seekers. To make the non-existent jobs appear legitimate, they received payments from visa seekers and returned portions as fabricated payroll, according to the indictment. Charges include conspiracy to defraud the U.S., visa fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and RICO conspiracy, prosecutors said. In addition to visa fraud, Murshid and Nasir were charged with unlawfully obtaining and attempting to obtain U.S. citizenship. Federal prosecutors speak out Chad Meachum, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, announced the indictment in a news release on Friday. "These defendants are charged with engaging in extensive measures to hide a massive, multi-year immigration fraud scheme through which they reaped substantial personal financial gain," Meachum said. "Pursuing criminal charges to deter and punish this type of flagrant disregard for the lawful immigration process is a top priority of this Office." FBI calls it "International Crime" "The defendants allegedly oversaw an international criminal enterprise for years that repeatedly undermined our nation's immigration laws," FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said in the release. "These laws are necessary to protect national security and safeguard the lawful immigration process. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will hold any individual accountable that misuses their position of trust for personal profit." Multiple agencies involved While the FBI led the investigation, the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General also assisted. Court appearance and next steps Prosecutors said the defendants made their first court appearance on Friday, with detention hearings set for May 30. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
