11 Arrested in Largest US Marriage Fraud Prosecution

Federal authorities have arrested 11 individuals in connection with what officials describe as one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in United States history. The defendants are accused of orchestrating a decade-long, multimillion-dollar scheme that arranged more than 1,000 sham marriages, primarily between Chinese nationals and U.S. citizens, to fraudulently obtain green cards.

The arrests were announced on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, by Attorney General Todd Blanche at a press conference in Washington. A 21-page indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of New York, charging the defendants with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud, as well as conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum of five years in prison on the first charge and up to 10 years on the second.

According to prosecutors, the alleged network operated from at least 2016 through July 2026. The defendants, all naturalized U.S. citizens originally from China except for one green card holder, allegedly facilitated the scheme by pairing foreign nationals with recruited U.S. citizens. Foreign nationals,...