VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTI #0113/01 0500642
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190642Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7890
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS TIRANA 000113 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR CA/FPP; DS/ICI/CR; DS/CR/VF; DS/CR/CIL 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: CVIS SMIG KFRD ASEC AL
SUBJECT:  REQUEST FOR DS AND DHS ASSISTANCE WITH ALBANIAN COMMANDO 
FRAUD RING 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY.  Albanian Commando soldiers returning from military 
service in Iraq have applied at U.S. Embassy Tirana for tourist 
visas to visit friends and family in the United States.  Many of 
these soldiers have presented letters of invitation from former U.S. 
Government contractors and military personnel whom they met in Iraq. 
 Each of the applicants submitted documentation from a commanding 
officer stating that they are active duty military with a short 
period of authorized leave.  None of the soldiers issued visas have 
returned to Albania.  Post requests assistance from DS and DHS in 
combating this fraud.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  In the last two years, the U.S. Embassy Tirana has had more than 
20 Albanian Commando soldiers apply for tourist visas to the United 
States.  Initially Post had concerns that visa refusals would 
provide public affairs issues during President Bush's visit to 
Albania in June 2007, as he was scheduled to meet with Albanian 
Commando soldiers returning from Iraq.  But after the issuance of 
several visas, Post witnessed a surge in applications.  Each of the 
applicants requested a brief visit to family or to U.S. contractors 
or military personnel they met while serving in Iraq.  Eight 
applicants received visas in 2007 and 2008.  One of the visas was 
physically cancelled before the applicant traveled, and another was 
turned around by CBP.  Of the six applicants still remaining in the 
United States, three are now present illegally and the other three 
have applied for adjustment of status with USCIS.  Based on their 
success in remaining or adjusting status, Post fears that it will 
continue to see increased numbers of Albanian Commando applicants 
seeking visas for reasons other than official training. 
 
¶3.  Corruption is prevalent in all sectors of Albanian society, and 
the consular section's recent experience has demonstrated that the 
Albanian military is no exception.  Each of the applicants who were 
issued tourist visas and traveled were active duty military, but 
they all abandoned their military commitments within days to travel 
permanently to the United States.  Information received at Post 
indicates that when the Albanian military does not strictly enforce 
attendance and AWOL policies, it often involves corruption.  In some 
cases, an active duty soldier who goes AWOL might never face 
discipline because the commanding officer responsible for reporting 
the violation may just collect the absent soldier's salary rather 
than reporting the violation.  As a result, the consular section now 
can place little faith in a military service commitment as a tie to 
Albania for purposes of overcoming section 214(b) in a tourist visa 
interview. 
 
KBR Personnel 
 
¶4.  The majority of the Albanian Commando tourist visa applicants 
have applied for visas to visit one of two U.S. citizens who worked 
with Kellog Brown and Root (KBR) in Iraq.  Seven applicants have 
applied to visit U.S. citizen Matthew Woodford Vinson III, a KBR 
employee in Mosul, Iraq in 2006.  Mr. Vinson has provided letters 
stating that he had met the applicants in Mosul when they served on 
his security team.  Matthew Vinson listed his address as 721 Tucker 
Street, Apt. D, Raleigh, NC  27603, with a home phone of (919) 
802-5616 and cell (919) 730-3028. 
 
¶5.  After several applicants were refused to visit Mr. Vinson, 
applicants began presenting invitations from Kendra Evers, another 
former KBR employee and U.S. citizen who is apparently from 
Washington state but currently working in Fort Bliss, Texas.  Ms. 
Evers listed 509-884-3155 as her telephone number, and her address 
was listed on the applications as 1601 Eastmont Avenue, East 
Wenatchee, WA 98812. 
 
The successful applicants 
 
¶6.  The following six individuals are all still present in the 
United States, although one has already successfully adjusted status 
and two others have pending applications with USCIS to extend or 
adjust their status.  Three are present illegally and their 
whereabouts are unknown. 
 
¶7.  Mirjan Xhixha (DOB 17MAY1983) was issued a one entry, three 
month validity visa on May 17, 2007, annotated to visit Mr. Vinson 
in North Carolina.  He entered the United States on May 25, 2007, 
and is apparently still present illegally. 
 
¶8.  Alfred Dani (DOB 19JUN1981) was first refused a tourist visa on 
August 15, 2007, to visit Mr. Vinson in North Carolina.  He spoke no 
English and had no documentation.  He returned for a second 
application on October 18, 2007, and was subsequently issued a 
tourist visa by another officer after he presented a letter which 
stated that he was still active duty in the Albanian military.  He 
was issued a one entry, three month visa.  He entered the United 
States on October 26, 2007, and currently has an I-539 application 
pending to extend or adjust status, although he failed to respond to 
USCIS' request for initial evidence on December 1, 2008. 
 
¶9.  Alban Kadhe (DOB17APR1982) applied to visit Mr. Vinson on 
November 27, 2007.  He received a one entry, three month visa with 
no annotation.  He entered the United States on December 8, 2007, 
and is apparently still present illegally. 
 
¶10.  Gentjan Noka (DOB 31DEC1976) was issued a one entry, three 
month visa to visit Mr. Vinson on January 4, 2008.  He stated that 
his wife was pregnant and expecting their first child in several 
months, so he would not stay more than a few weeks.  The 
interviewing consular officer verified with the Albanian military 
that he was active duty.  He presented invitation documents from Mr. 
Vinson and his Albanian commanding officer authorizing his leave. 
He entered the United States on January 26, 2008, and is apparently 
still present illegally. 
 
¶11.  Ervin Korra (DOB15APR1986) (A 87-324-670) was issued a one 
entry, three month visa on August 27, 2007, to visit his aunt Farije 
Korra in Brooklyn.  He claimed that he had one month of sick leave 
from the Albanian military.  He entered the United States on 
September 9, 2007, and applied to adjust status with USCIS on April 
23, 2008.  In January 2008, Mr. Korra's sister Valbona Korra and her 
husband were refused visas to visit him.  Additionally, another 
Commando named Blerim Xhaja has applied twice to visit members of 
the Korra family in Brooklyn.  It is highly suspected that Ervin's 
marriage for adjustment of status to Christina Paone is fraudulent, 
as his other family members knew nothing of it when they applied for 
visas.  Additionally, the mailing address used by Christina Paone 
with USCIS of 1710 77th Street, Apt. D4, Brooklyn, NY 11214, is 
actually that of Ibrahim Korra, Ervin's uncle. 
 
¶12.  Ajet Aruci (DOB 05MAR1982) was issued a multiple entry one year 
visa on January 16, 2008, to visit his friend Kendra Evers in 
Washington State for one month.  He stated that he still had several 
years remaining with the Albanian military and had no immediate 
family in the United States.  He entered the United States on 
February 18, 2008, and never departed.  He applied to adjust to 
student status and his application was approved by USCIS in October 
2008 and he is currently active in Sevis as attending the City 
University of New York. 
 
¶13.  Two additional Albanian Commando soldiers received visas but 
are no longer currently present in the United States.  Altin Vladi 
(DOB 13JAN1982) was issued a one year visa on June 16, 2008, to 
visit Kendra Evers.  He had not yet used the visa on November 26, 
2008, when his wife Alseda Vladi (21JUL1986) applied to visit Ms. 
Evers as well.  Altin's still valid visa was cancelled by the 
interviewing Consular Officer, and his wife was refused, and 
therefore he was unable to travel to the United States. 
 
¶14.  Besnik Dine (DOB 02JAN1985) was issued a one year visa on March 
20, 2007.  He spent six months in the United States from April 6, 
2007 to October 2, 2007.  When he tried to re-enter the United 
States for a second time on October 18, 2007, he was placed by CBP 
into secondary at JFK airport, where he admitted to having worked 
without authorization during his previous stay.  He was 
expeditiously removed and is no longer present in the United 
States. 
 
¶15.  Matthew Vinson and Kendra Evers assisted these soldiers in 
obtaining visas to work and live in the United States.  It is not 
known what their motivation was for providing this assistance.  Post 
now requests that DS and DHS investigate Mr. Vinson and Ms. Evers 
for their possible smuggling activities.  Post also requests 
assistance in locating and removing the Albanian Commandos present 
illegally.  Sending a message of enforcement to the Albanian 
military community could serve as a strong deterrent against future 
fru dulent NIV applications.  Post therefore requeststthat this 
information be referred to the fraud ui(ts at DS, USCIS and ICE for 
assistance. 
 
¶16. FFor any further information, please contact the RSO or the 
Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Tirana. 
 
END 
 
WITHERS