FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at Port Everglades arrested a 65-year-old man who presented a fraudulently obtained driver’s license and an altered U.S. birth certificate upon his arrival from St. Maarten on June 20.
CBP officers at Port Everglades observed that the birth certificate’s name and date of birth appeared to have been altered to match the man’s Florida issued driver’s license. During an interview the individual, a U.S. citizen, willingly gave his real name and admitted to changing it many years ago.
CBP officers determined that the man had been arrested in the 1980’s for sexual assault, strong-arm rape and child molestation. The subject was arrested by CBP and turned over to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
“The safety and security of our cruise ship passengers and their children is extremely important,” said Port Everglades Port Director Jorge Roig. “We need to know the true identities of all passengers and crew aboard ships coming from or going to foreign destinations. This interception is a great example of how CBP officers are well-trained and skillful in identifying fraudulent documents.”
On a typical day in Fiscal Year 2014, CBP officers across the nation intercepted 76 fraudulent documents.
To see more CBP activity in Florida, visit @CBPFlorida on Twitter