Colombia dismantles ring selling fake ID cards to migrants

BOGOTA – Colombia has arrested several officials accused of selling fake ID cards used to smuggle more than 8,000 migrants into the country illegally, mostly from Cuba and Venezuela.

Authorities became suspicious around six months ago when they detained several migrants on the border with Panama carrying Colombian ID cards even though they didn’t speak Spanish.

Authorities said Wednesday that the seven current and former officials from the national registry office in Barranquilla charged as much as $220 for each document.

Migrants from China, Lithuania and Lebanon also received the forged documents.

Colombia is a major transit country for Cuban migrants making their way north to the United States and the Andean country in recent years has also seen a huge influx of Venezuelans fleeing that nation’s economic crisis.