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RR RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHGR RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD
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DE RUEHDG #1606/01 3581230
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241228Z DEC 09 ZFF6
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0427
INFO WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 001606 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR CA/FPP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS KFRD ASEC SMIG DR
SUBJECT: FOR RELEASE: Fraud Prevention Initiatives Against 
Visa-Fixers 
 
REF: SANTO DOMINGO 001235 
 
1)  (U) Summary:  As detailed in post's most recent consular fraud 
summary (see ref), the level of fraud at post is extremely high and 
post is beset by the operations of visa-fixers.  "Buscones," as 
visa-fixers are known locally, may impersonate consular officials 
and often operate in the vicinity of the consular section.  Two 
recent initiatives at post address these problems: first the Fraud 
Prevention Unit (FPU) updated a "Buscones" poster identifying 
persons known to impersonate consular employees; secondly the 
ARSO-I in coordination with local police intensified regular 
operations against buscones working in the immediate vicinity of 
the consular section.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
 
 
----------------- 
 
"Buscones" Poster 
 
----------------- 
 
 
 
2)  (U) Our "Buscones" poster contains the names and photos of 50 
local individuals known to have impersonated U.S. Embassy officials 
and/or employees in order to defraud prospective visa applicants. 
The poster simply states, "These persons are not employees of the 
American Embassy" and provides FPU contact information.  We display 
it prominently in our consular waiting areas and have distributed 
approximately 50 copies to various GODR offices including the 
National Police (PN) Anti-Fraud Unit and public prosecutors' 
offices.  FPU and ARSO-I personnel conducting investigations and 
local officials taking complaints from victims of fraud regularly 
use the poster to assist in identification of buscones.  Although 
we never officially released it to the public, the poster received 
front-page coverage in the local press.  The media attention 
generated many calls to consular and local officials from victims 
of consular-related fraud.  In response the PN officer assigned to 
the consular section (reftel explains this placement) has guided 
these callers through the process of filing criminal complaints 
("denuncias") in order to facilitate the subsequent arrest of 
several buscones.  The arrests publicly demonstrate the serious 
consequences of fraud and misrepresentation and have increased the 
local awareness level of the buscones' con game. 
 
 
 
3)  (SBU) The case of one particular impersonator demonstrates how 
much is at stake for buscones and their victims.  Elsy Gertrudis 
Gonzalez Cavallo claimed to be a consular section employee 
promising several visa applicants that she could assist them in 
obtaining a visa.  Multiple complaints were filed against her with 
visa applicants defrauded of as much as $15,000 USD.  Based on 
these "denuncias" Dominican authorities obtained a warrant and 
recently arrested her.  She is currently incarcerated, serving one 
month in preventative custody while the case against her is 
developed.  The FPU and ARSO-I have long known of Gonzalez 
Cavallo's activities and facilitated her arrest once before.  In 
that instance she used her influence to arrange for release from 
custody even before arriving at the police station for processing. 
The drastically different results of her most recent arrest reflect 
the success of ARSO-I efforts to cultivate good working relations 
with local prosecutors, and furthermore confirm the advantage of 
developing solid cases with multiple complaints. 
 
 
 
 
 
-------------------- 
 
Push-Back Operations 
 
-------------------- 
 
 
 
4)  (U) Visa-fixers operate openly on the streets bordering our 
consular section, selling fake documents and visa packets as well 
as victimizing unwary applicants.  Buscones often convince 
legitimate applicants of the need for additional forms or 
"corrections" to their applications offering to "assist" (and often 
defrauding) them at inflated prices.  To confront this situation we 
designed a push-back operation, to improve safety on the streets in 
 
SANTO DOMI 00001606  002 OF 002 
 
 
front of the consular section by clearing an area beyond the actual 
waiting line.  National Police assigned to crowd control at our 
facility ordered all non-applicants back an additional 20 meters, 
thus allowing applicants to get legitimate information from 
consular personnel and to get documents in order without being 
accosted by aggressive visa-fixers. 
 
 
 
5)  (U) On the morning of November 16, the Anti-Fraud Department of 
the National Police (PN) carried out an aggressive operation 
against buscones working in the vicinity of the Consular Section. 
The PN arrested nine, and impounded one mobile bus set up with 
computers, internet access, photo services, etc. used to facilitate 
their activities.  A similar operation on November 24 resulted in 
the arrest of four visa-fixers.  Although all of those arrested 
were released within 24 hours after routine processing, the 
operations have had a noticeable effect in pushing the buscones 
activities further back from the consular section.  The ARSO-I 
remains in continuous coordination with PN authorities to arrest 
and prosecute these visa-fixers as future opportunities arise. 
 
 
 
 
 
----------------------------- 
 
Teamwork and Strategy Pay Off 
 
----------------------------- 
 
 
 
6)  (U) We are fortunate to have an outstanding consular team 
working cooperatively with the FPU and ARSO-I to employ creative, 
outside-of-the-box thinking and tactics in the pursuit of mala fide 
applicants and visa fixers.  These recent arrests showcase success 
of the team's hard work.  Septel will follow detailing further 
public outreach efforts to inform visa applicants and discourage 
them from turning to buscones for assistance.  Additional arrests 
and local prosecution of persons involved in consular fraud will 
also be reported septel. 
 
 
 
LAMBERT 
Lambert