| U.S. officials have charged two men with helping | | | | Acosta says the alleged sale of the bogus licenses |
| thousands of people travel to Cuba with fraudulent | | | | generated about $1 million in revenue during a |
| religious visas. Authorities say the suspects used | | | | nine-month period last year. |
| bogus church names and other information to avoid | | | | Authorities said the pair could face up to five years in |
| travel restrictions to the Communist island. VOA's | | | | prison, if convicted. |
| Brian Wagner reports from Miami. | | | | Officials expressed concern that the alleged incident |
| U.S. officials announced the indictment following a | | | | could affect thousands of others who conduct |
| months-long probe that involved local police, | | | | legitimate religious missions to Cuba each year. |
| immigration officials and the Treasury Department. | | | | Adam Szubin is the director of the Office of Foreign |
| They say Victor Vazquez and David Margolis are | | | | Assets Control at the Treasury Department, which |
| accused of helping some 4,500 travelers avoid | | | | oversees Cuba sanctions. |
| Cuba-related travel regulations. The two men are | | | | "The fact that we see fraud as being exposed today |
| accused of taking advantage of a Treasury | | | | with made-up ministers, made-up churches, will mean |
| Department program that grants permits to churches | | | | very sadly that we have to pay increasing scrutiny |
| for religious and humanitarian missions to Cuba. | | | | to church organizations, religious organizations that |
| U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta says Vazquez and Margolis | | | | come in and apply," said Adam Szubin. "I think it's a |
| obtained scores of religious travel permits, using | | | | second tragedy of this activity, aside from the |
| non-existent pastors and false church names, such as | | | | criminal conduct itself." |
| the First Church of Christ. He says the licenses were | | | | For more than four decades, the United States has |
| then offered to travel agents for sale in the Miami | | | | barred American companies from doing business in |
| area. | | | | Cuba. In recent years, Washington has allowed limited |
| "An individual could then go into a travel service | | | | cash sales of food and medicine intended to aid the |
| provider, indicate a desire to travel to Cuba, pay a | | | | Cuban people. U.S. officials say the sanctions are |
| fee of $250 and then have the ability to travel as if | | | | needed to create pressure on the Cuban |
| they were a member of this non-existent church," | | | | government and hasten a transition to democracy on |
| said Alex Acosta. | | | | the island. |