A KC fake robbery scheme used real gunfire to get visas. Here’s what to know | Opinion

A Mexican citizen orchestrated staged armed robberies in Kansas City — involving real bullets — to help undocumented immigrants fraudulently obtain U Visas, according to federal prosecutors. Both the Trump and Biden administrations share blame in how the case unfolded and was later characterized.

FULL STORY: Mexican citizen’s fake crimes for visas led to real bullets and new lies | Opinion

Here are key takeaways:

• The scheme: Jose Luis Morales Salgado would tell undocumented immigrants to have their cars “stall” at a certain spot in Kansas City, where gunmen would rob them and fire a pistol into their car twice. The “victims” would then call police and request the department sign off on U Visa applications.
• The scale: A source told KCTV 5 that more than 100 individuals were involved as robbers, victims or in other roles. Gunfire occurred on at least 11 occasions in 2023.
• How police caught on: Robberies kept occurring at the same location and ballistics analysis found the same gun was used. Police license plate readers and city cameras helped track down Oscar Gutierrez, who pleaded guilty last month.
• The credit dispute: The U.S. attorney’s office tied the case to “Operation Take Back America,” but that operation wasn’t launched until March 6 — weeks after the arrests. Biden-era staff approved plans to pursue the case.
• The bigger picture: Kansas City police signed off on 386 U Visa applications in 2024 alone, and a Biden-era Justice Department inspector general found the program is “rife with other kinds of fraud.”

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.