Federal Authorities Dismantle Major Marriage Fraud Ring Targeting U.S. Citizenship for Chinese Nationals
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in coordination with federal prosecutors, has successfully dismantled a sophisticated fraud ring that allegedly facilitated sham marriages between Chinese migrants and United States citizens. The operation, which aimed to circumvent U.S. immigration laws and secure automatic citizenship or lawful permanent resident status for foreign nationals, has resulted in the indictment of eleven individuals.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the defendants are accused of engaging in a conspiracy to recruit American citizens—specifically targeting members of the U.S. Armed Forces—to enter into fraudulent marriages. Prosecutors allege that the scheme, which spanned from March 2024 through February 2025, operated across multiple states, including Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Nevada.
The indictment outlines a calculated operation where Chinese nationals allegedly paid substantial sums, often tens of thousands of dollars, to brokers and U.S. citizen spouses. In exchange, the American spouses were reportedly promised cash payments structured in installments: an upfront fee upon marriage, a second payment once legal immigration status was secured, and a final sum following a planned divorce.
To evade detection by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the conspirators allegedly went to great lengths to fabricate evidence of legitimate relationships. This included staging wedding ceremonies, creating fraudulent paper trails, and organizing photo sessions to depict the couples in “loving, committed relationships” for immigration interviews.
One of the alleged ringleaders, identified in court documents as 54-year-old Anny Chen of New York, is accused of recruiting service members and coordinating the logistics of the sham unions. Authorities stated that the scheme also involved attempts to bribe officials to obtain Department of Defense identification cards for the foreign nationals, further complicating the security breach.
USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser commented on the operation, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the lawful immigration system. “Some marriages are made in heaven. Some are just made up,” Tragesser stated, noting that the agency’s collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was pivotal in uncovering the fraud.
The eleven defendants face charges including conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and bribery. If convicted, they could face significant prison sentences. Federal officials have indicated that the investigation remains active, with further arrests possible as they continue to probe the extent of the network and its potential impact on national security.
* breitbart.com
* christianpost.com
* ice.gov
* justice.gov
* time.com
* uscis.gov
* youtube.com
