An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. CBP Officers at New York Border Arrest Impostor

CBP Officers at New York Border Arrest Impostor

Release Date
Wed, 04/28/2010

Massena, N.Y. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Field Operations announced the arrest of a Canadian citizen on charges of misuse of a passport and false statements.

On April 25, CBP officers encountered 35-year-old Richard Salvador Gutierrez Castillo as a passenger in a vehicle with four other people destined to shop in the local Massena area. Mr. Gutierrez Castillo claimed to be a citizen of Canada born in El Salvador and presented a valid Canadian passport as proof of citizenship.

CBP officers noticed that the appearance of Gutierrez Castillo was much different than the photo on the passport he presented. After further questioning and additional data research, it was determined that he was an impostor to the genuine Canadian passport. Gutierrez Castillo is in fact a Canadian citizen; however, he has had prior immigration violations which led him to present himself in another identity in an attempt to gain entry.

Mr. Gutierrez Castillo was arrested by CBP officers and is being charged with misuse of a passport and false statements. He is currently being detained pending prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) priority mission is to secure our borders, our people and our visitors from those that would do us harm, including terrorists and instruments of terror. CBP is also charged with the facilitation of legitimate trade and travel into and out of the United States. In this dual role, CBP enforces rules and regulations for a variety of agencies.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021