Syrian official illegally living in U.S. indicted on immigration fraud, torture charges
Had he disclosed his true identity, he would not have been allowed entry into the country.
By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor
Published: December 19, 2024 11:04pm
Syrian national Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 72, was first arrested in July at the Los Angeles International Airport, where he planned to board a flight to Beirut, Lebanon, on a one-way ticket. He’d been residing in Lexington, South Carolina, after first entering the U.S. in 2020 on a fraudulent visa application that didn’t disclose his role in the Assad regime.
From between 2005 and 2008, he oversaw the Damascus Central Prison under former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to the complaint. Had he disclosed his true identity, he would not have been allowed entry into the country. He applied for U.S. citizenship last year.
He was initially arrested and indicted on visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud charges. In his U.S. citizenship and visa applications he denied that he’d ever persecuted anyone in Syria, according to the criminal complaint.
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/syrian-official-illegally-living-us-indicted-immigration-fraud-torture
