A Mexican national living in the Kansas City area pleaded guilty on March 31 to participating in a conspiracy that staged armed robberies so illegal immigrants could falsely claim victim status and obtain visas. Oscar Gutierrez, 36, admitted before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips that he conspired with others to arrange fake robberies for immigrants seeking U-Visas.
The case highlights how immigration fraud schemes can exploit programs intended to protect victims of crime. The U-Visa program was designed to help law enforcement investigate and prosecute crimes while offering protection for victims willing to assist authorities.
Gutierrez was charged after investigators linked him and co-defendant Jose Luis Morales Salgado to a series of staged robberies. Immigrants paid Salgado thousands of dollars each for the chance to be part of these incidents, which were then reported as real crimes in support of fraudulent visa applications. During his plea hearing, Gutierrez admitted he took part in several fake robberies meant to bolster these applications.
Salgado previously pleaded guilty on March 23 and acknowledged recruiting individuals—including Gutierrez—to pose as robbers. The staged crimes followed a pattern: purported victims would stop their cars claiming mechanical trouble, then an accomplice would arrive masked and armed, assault them, steal cash, and fire rounds into their vehicle. Investigators identified at least 11 such incidents involving 33 supposed victims between December 2021 and July 2024; at least 18 submitted false U-Visa claims.
Court documents revealed that over 100 people may have been involved as purported victims according to sources cited by investigators. Undercover agents recorded meetings with Salgado where they arranged payment for a fake robbery intended for visa fraud purposes.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations. The case was investigated by local police along with federal agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach programs addressing violent crime according to the official website. The office has locations in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield according to its website, handles federal prosecutions across western Missouri’s 66 counties according to official information, covers territory from Iowa’s border southward through Arkansas according to its official site, is affiliated with the Department of Justice according to its website, and works collaboratively with other law enforcement partners as reported by the official site.
