Pakistani nationals Abdul Hadi Murshid, and Muhammad Salman Nasir were arrested by FBI. FBI Director Kash Patel praised the arrests.
Two Pakistani nationals based in Texas have been arrested for allegedly running a years-long immigration fraud and money laundering racket involving fake job offers and fraudulent visa applications, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said.
Texas residents Abdul Hadi Murshid(39)and Muhammad Salman Nasir (35), both originally from Pakistan, were taken into custody following a joint investigation led by FBI Dallas and federal law enforcement partners.The duo, along with a Texas law firm and a company named Reliable Ventures Inc., have been charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, visa fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The charges were announced by Acting US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Chad E Meacham. Murshid and Nasir are also accused of unlawfully obtaining and attempting to obtain US citizenship.
Kash Patel reacts
FBI Director Kash Patel lauded the FBI teams and partners in the investigation for nabbing the duo. In an X post, Patel said, “Major arrests out of @FBIDallas. Abdul Hadi Murshid and Muhammad Salman Nasir — two individuals out of Texas who allegedly oversaw and operated a criminal enterprise, circumventing American immigration laws by selling fraudulent visa applications.”
According to the indictment, Murshid, Nasir, along with the Law Offices of D Robert Jones PLLC and Reliable Ventures, Inc. engaged in a scheme to commit visa fraud to enrich themselves and others, and to cause individuals to fraudulently obtain entry into and immigration status in the United States.
It is alleged that Murshid, Nasir, and others submitted false and fraudulent visa applications for individuals who were not United States citizens (hereinafter referred to as ‘visa seekers’), and applications to adjust status of the visa seekers so the visa seekers could enter and remain in the United States.
How did this visa fraud work?
The indictment says that they exploited the EB-2, EB-3, and H-1B visa programs. Specifically, the defendants caused classified advertisements to be placed in a daily periodical for non-existent jobs. These advertisements were placed in order to satisfy a Department of Labor (DOL) requirement to offer the position to United States citizens before hiring foreign nationals.
Once they received the fraudulently obtained certification for from the Department of Labor, the defendants filed a petition to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to obtain an immigrant visa for the visa seekers. At the time the petitions were submitted, the defendants also submitted an application for legal permanent residence so that the visa seekers could also obtain a green card. According to the indictment, to make the non-existent jobs look legitimate, the defendants received payment from visa seekers, then returned a portion of the money back to the visa seekers as purported payroll.
Also Read:Shashi Tharoor praises Operation Sindoor in US says India hit hard and smart after Pahalgam attack
Also Read:‘Terrorism emanates from Pakistan only…’: Asaduddin Owaisi in Bahrain
