VZCZCXYZ0024
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBE #0435 1791746
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 281746Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BELMOPAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0657
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0003
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0056
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0002

C O N F I D E N T I A L BELMOPAN 000435 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DS/CR, DS/CR/CIL, DS/IP/WHA, WHA/CEN, CA/VO, 
DS/FLD/MFO, GUATEMALA FOR DHS/ICE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2017 
TAGS: ASEC CVIS BH
SUBJECT: BELMOPAN: DIRECTOR, BELIZE IMMIGRATION MEETS WITH 
RSO RE IMMIGRATION CORRUPTION PROBLEMS 
 
Classified By: RSO Patrick J. Harms for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On June 21, 2007, Gareth Murillo, Director of 
Immigration, met with RSO Belmopan to share information re a 
suspected corrupt Immigration Officer assisting a Cuban with 
a counterfeit Guatemalan passport and U.S. visa, and the 
political pressure to issue visas to Chinese (and the flow of 
Chinese through Cuba). END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Director of Immigration Gareth Murillo requested a 
meeting with RSO Belmopan the afternoon of June 21, 2007.  In 
the meeting, he presented photocopies of a Guatemalan 
passport and a U.S. visa for Juan Emelio PINEDA GUZMAN 
(SUBJECT).  Murillo stated SUBJECT was Cuban, and had been 
detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 
Miami on June 16 because both the passport and visa were 
counterfeit.  SUBJECT had departed Belize that day via 
American Airlines to Miami. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Murillo stated American Airlines had been approached 
by U.S. ICE with the potential of being fined for allowing a 
blatant counterfeit document through.  The American agent at 
the airport in Belize City reported that he remembered 
SUBJECT going through the checkpoint, but that he was 
escorted by a Belize Immigration Officer, Nikolai ZELAYA. 
Murillo said ZELAYA had long been suspected of corruption, 
and asked if ICE could obtain a statement from SUBJECT that 
could be used to fire ZELAYA.  RSO told Murillo such an 
attempt would be made, and asked if charges would be brought; 
Murrillo stated if a sworn statement had enough evidence, he 
would attempt to charge ZELAYA. 
 
¶4. (C) Murillo also spoke of the political pressure to grant 
visas to Chinese and Cubans.  Many, he said, come through 
Cuba.  He stated he would ask "those in position" to stop 
putting such pressure to grant so many visas to Chinese, due 
to the overwhelming workload and inability to screen the 
applicants. (Belize is a human smuggling transit point, and 
it is widely believed that large numbers of Chinese are 
moving through Belize with the sanction of politicians.)  RSO 
asked Murillo how many came through Cuba, and he said he was 
unsure.  RSO asked if he would provide that information, and 
he replied that he would.  It has now been one week, and in 
each contact since Murillo has not had that information. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Following the meeting with Murillo, RSO contacted 
Miami Field Office (DS/FLD/MFO) re obtaining a statement from 
SUBJECT.  Special Agent Fernando Cepeda contacted Immigration 
officers at Miami Airport, and confirmed SUBJECT's arrival, 
detention, and release.  An address for SUBJECT has been 
obtained, and SA Cepeda is attempting to contact SUBJECT to 
obtain a statement re Zelaya. 
 
¶6. (C) RSO believes Murillo's assistance and commitment is 
limited, and does not expect accurate numbers of visas issued 
from the Belizean Embassy in Cuba. 
 
¶7. (U) Point of Contact for this cable is Patrick Harms, RSO, 
Belmopan, 501-822-4011, ext 4007. 
 
DIETER