SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers found Sunday a man using a counterfeit passport of the Dominican Republic and false US Visa attempting to fly from the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport to the John F. Kennedy International airport in New York.
On Nov. 24, during routine inspections authorized by federal law, a passenger presented a passport of the Dominican Republic and a US Visa, under another name as proof of authorized stay in the country.
A more thorough inspection and a closer examination of the documents revealed that the documents were counterfeit, and the real name of the passenger was Luis Alberto Germosen-Crisotomo.
Germosen-Cristomo appeared on Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce McGiverin for an initial appearance, for violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546 (a), for fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ginette Milanes is in charge of the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Puerto Rico.
If convicted, Germosen-Cristomo faces imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or a fine, or both.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
CBP’s mission is to facilitate travel while maintaining the highest standards of security for those who live here and for those who come to visit. On a typical day last year, CBP officers processed more than 1 million travelers arriving airports, seaports or border crossings.