Mexican arrested in Antioquia for million-dollar fraud against US
At Rionegro airport, Migration officials and Interpol arrested Bryan Gardea, a Mexican national with an international arrest warrant for diverting pandemic relief funds from the US government.
Mexican arrested in Antioquia for million-dollar fraud against US
Officials from Colombia's Migration authority and Interpol detained a Mexican citizen at Rionegro airport in Antioquia on an incoming flight from Miami. Bryan Gardea was listed by the international police organisation as a wanted person in connection with a case involving the misappropriation of relief funds for businesses affected by the health crisis.
According to a statement from the National Police, the foreigner must face charges in United States courts for alleged digital fraud, financial fraud and money laundering. The authorities identify him as the suspected leader of a criminal band that allegedly took advantage of the public health emergency to enrich itself illegally.
A court in New Mexico district requested his arrest after determining his alleged participation in an embezzlement scheme that allegedly generated irregular profits exceeding one million dollars during 2020 and 2021, years in which the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world.
The investigation indicates that the defendant allegedly exploited economic support programmes created by the US administration to help companies withstand the financial impact caused by mandatory lockdowns.
The band allegedly operated by creating shell companies, falsifying documents and submitting false financial statements, according to details provided by uniformed officers. After obtaining the money, the members channelled it to private accounts to finance personal expenses such as purchasing properties and vehicles.
The detention was achieved after cross-checking information in Interpol records, which initiated collaboration protocols between police bodies from different countries to carry out the arrest.
In the coming hours, the detainee is expected to be transferred to US territory, where a New Mexico magistrate will determine his legal status and whether he should be placed in a detention facility.
The arrest occurred during immigration checks that, on the same day, resulted in the expulsion of six American nationals who were on the same aircraft and who are being investigated for alleged sexual exploitation.
_Source: La Opinión_
Source: Google News CO — Crime