Four arrested in connection with alleged visa fraud scheme on Thursday near Santa Maria
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – On Thursday, Nov. 13, three people and a U.S. citizen were arrested near Santa Maria for violations of federal immigrations laws, visa fraud, and fraud in foreign labor contracting.
According to a press release Monday from the Department of Homeland Security, a labor recruiter and U.S. Citizen, Jorge Vasquez, allegedly recruited people in Mexico to apply for the H-2A seasonal farm-labor visa program as employees of "JJB Farms LLC" and others while receiving payments, usually through deductions in the worker's wages.
Docking the wages of the workers is a violation of H-2A visa rules and a violation of federal peonage laws stated the Department of Homeland Security.
Vazquez is alleged to have threatened to turn over information about the immigration status of workers and their families to immigration officials if recruited workers failed to comply with the scheme, if their productivity was considered unacceptable, and if anyone complained or even spoke to government inspector's about their treatment shared the Department of Homeland Security.
If you or anyone you know if subject to unfair or illegal conditions as part of the immigration process or their status has been threatened or used for exploitative purposes, you can report those activities to the federal government by calling 866-347-2423 or here.
Your News Channel has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and contact information for Santa Maria-based Jjb Farm LLC for more information about the arrests and allegations and their responses will be added to this article when they are received.
