Mexican National Sentenced for Conspiracy to Fraudulently Obtain Visas for Alien ‘Victims’ of Staged Crimes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Mexican national in the Kansas City area was sentenced in federal court today for his role in helping illegal aliens fraudulently obtain visas permitting them to reside and work in the United States.

Jose Luis Morales Salgado, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Beth Phillips to 21 months of imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The Court ordered Salgado to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $61,200 which constituted the illicit proceeds he obtained as a result of his involvement in the conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

On March 23, 2026, Salgado pleaded guilty to conspiring to fraudulently obtain immigration visas for aliens. Salgado admitted that immigrants contacted Salgado to arrange for themselves to become "victims" of staged robberies so they could submit applications for U-Visas, which are granted to crime victims. These immigrants, who were either illegally present in the United States or in the United States legally through work visas, paid Salgado thousands of dollars to participate. In exchange, Salgado directed them to the location of a planned staged robbery on a particular day and time.

Salgado also admitted that he recruited individuals to pose as robbers during the staged crimes and provided directions to those individuals. Salgado admitted that each robbery involved aliens who told police they had car trouble and pulled over. Soon after stopping, another vehicle would arrive and park next to, or in front of, the purported victim's vehicle. The robber, wearing a medical mask over their face and brandishing a firearm, would strike the purported victims in the head or face, take their cash, and typically fire two rounds into the purported victim's vehicle.

Investigators with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department initially identified 11 incidents in which the reported robberies followed this pattern. These cases were linked to each other, based in part, on leads generated from the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN utilized ballistic imaging technology to compare cartridge case markings on the expended cartridges from each crime scene. Detectives determined there was likely one firearm used in the commission of all the robberies. Detectives gathered information from city cameras and license plate readers to identify the vehicles used in the robberies.

Salgado instructed the alien "victims" to falsely report to law enforcement officials how the robberies occurred and advised them how to make these false reports in an effort to bolster their applications for U-Visas.

The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act was designed to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute certain crimes while also protecting victims of crimes who are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. A foreign national is eligible for a U-Visa if he/she was the victim of qualifying criminal activity, suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of the criminal activity, possessed information about the criminal activity, and was likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the crime.

According to court documents, a source told investigators the number of purported "victims" involved in the scheme was well over 100. Court documents also indicate that investigators identified 11 robberies involving 33 purported "victims" that occurred as part of the conspiracy between Dec. 29, 2021, and July 13, 2024. Of those 33 immigrants, 18 submitted U-Visa applications falsely claiming to be victims of violent crimes.

An undercover federal agent and a law enforcement source met with Salgado on Jan. 22, 2025, and recorded their meeting. The undercover agent made arrangements to pay Salgado $4,000 for a robbery to be staged in order to fraudulently obtain a U-Visa. Salgado told the undercover agent he would "put on a grand show." Once the plans were agreed upon, the undercover agent paid Salgado $500 with a promise to pay the balance later. The undercover agent met with Salgado again on , Jan. 30, and Salgado was arrested.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.