A Mexican national, Jose Luis Morales Salgado, pleaded guilty on March 24 to conspiring to fraudulently obtain immigration visas for aliens by staging armed robberies in Kansas City, Missouri. Salgado admitted that he arranged for immigrants—some illegally present and others with work visas—to become fake victims of these crimes so they could apply for U-Visas intended for crime victims.
The case highlights efforts by federal authorities to address fraudulent use of victim-based immigration programs. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri handles such federal prosecutions and civil litigation across 66 counties in western Missouri, according to the official website.
Court documents state that immigrants paid Salgado thousands of dollars each to participate in the scheme. He directed them where the staged robberies would occur and recruited individuals to act as robbers. During these incidents, a supposed victim would stop their vehicle due to fake car trouble; then another person wearing a medical mask and brandishing a firearm would assault them, steal cash, and fire rounds into their vehicle. Investigators linked at least 11 such incidents between December 2021 and July 2024 involving 33 purported victims; among those, 18 submitted false U-Visa applications.
Detectives from the Kansas City Police Department used ballistic imaging technology from the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) as well as city cameras and license plate readers to connect these cases and identify suspects. An undercover agent also met with Salgado while posing as someone seeking a fraudulent U-Visa; during this meeting, which was recorded on January 22, Salgado said he would “put on a grand show” before being arrested days later.
Salgado faces up to five years in federal prison without parole under statutes prescribed by Congress. Sentencing will be determined after completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aiming to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford with investigations conducted by local police alongside federal agencies including Homeland Security Investigations.
The office supports community outreach programs addressing violent crime and drug trafficking issues according to its official website (source). It maintains offices in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield (source), covers jurisdiction from Iowa’s border southward through Arkansas (source), collaborates with various law enforcement partners (source), and is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Justice (source).
