Conspiracy to Rob Green Card Holders of Their IDs Busted Up by Oregon Law Enforcement Agents
FBI agents arrested two brothers last week for conspiring to steal green cards from Mexican nationals for the purpose of reselling them.
The two brothers, Antonio Sanchez Gonzalez and Vincente Sanchez Gonzalez, were booked on charges that included extortion, solicitation to commit burglary, unlawful use of a weapon, and first-degree conspiracy. The older brother Antonio (32) was remanded to federal custody after authorities learned that he was an undocumented immigrant. Vincente (24), meanwhile, got out of jail after posting $6,000 on a $60,000 bail.
Detectives were tipped off when a victim of the brothers' scheme complained to authorities two weeks ago. The FBI then followed the brothers and collected evidence that indicated they were planning to pilfer green cards and then sell them via an intermediary for $1,000 or $2,000 per card.
While green card robberies do occur with some frequency in the southern border states (Texas, Arizona, California); they rarely occur in northern states like Oregon. This case has worried some immigration officials, who fear the practice might be spreading.
According to law enforcement agents working on the case, including a sheriff's lieutenant named Erik Utter, the brothers' plot had grown rather sophisticated. They had already ID-ed a "coyote" that would take the stolen green cards and exchange them for cash. They had collected names of people they could target, and their conspiracy was hastening to its execution stage. More details on the attempted green card theft will emerge as the investigation continues.
The story underscores how valuable green cards can be to foreign immigrants. The process of obtaining green cards legally can be confusing, long, frustrating, and anxiety provoking. Moreover, without good legal guidance, qualified applicants can get turned down or can be forced to wait much longer than they should for responses.
