Homeland Security Investigations-Saipan arrested Venerando Aquino Martin, a Filipino national, for allegedly filing fraudulent U.S. permanent resident applications for himself and 242 others using a false eligibility claim, according to a federal complaint.
Martin, who is facing three counts of immigration fraud and false statements, was accused of submitting immigration forms under the C16 category, which requires continuous U.S. residence since before Jan. 1, 1972.
According to the complaint, HSI-Saipan began investigating after receiving tips from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and other sources in August 2024. Authorities found 242 employment authorization applications listing the same Saipan mailing address linked to Martin.
Martin allegedly filed his own Form I-765 and I-485 in June 2023, falsely claiming C16 eligibility. Records show he entered the U.S. in 2000, making him ineligible.
One applicant told investigators they paid Martin in cash to prepare and submit immigration forms using the same false eligibility category. The applicant said Martin completed the forms, selected the C16 category, and used his own address to receive the employment card.
