Calexico, California - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Calexico downtown port of entry over the weekend intercepted multiple immigration violations, including the arrests of four pedestrians attempting to fraudulently use U.S. passports to gain entry into the United States.

On Saturday, December 20, shortly before 12:30 p.m., a 35-year-old man entered the Calexico downtown port of entry on foot.  A CBP officer noticed the man appeared nervous and escorted him to a secure area for further inspection.

Officers conducted a ten-print query utilizing the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) and discovered that the man, a citizen of El Salvador, was not the true owner of the U.S. passport he presented to enter the United States.

On December 21, CBP officers intercepted similar attempts by two Mexican citizens, a 26-year-old woman and 28-year-old man, and a 28-year-old female Salvadoran citizen to fraudulently use U.S. passports to enter the United States through the port’s pedestrian area.

In all four instances, the persons suspected of attempting to enter the U.S. illegally were charged with felony misuse of a passport and transported to the Imperial County Jail to await criminal arraignment.