OPERATION CHECKMATE
In July 2002 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire and the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State launched an anti-terrorism initiative known as Operation Checkmate - an ongoing initiative to uncover and prosecute passport fraud at the National Passport Center located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The National Passport Center is the largest Passport Agency in the United States and issues more than two million passports per year. It is also the place where all passport renewal applications are processed. SSA and BICE are also important partners in this initiative.
Operation Checkmate cases are brought against individuals who are in the United States illegally, and who submit fraudulent applications for U.S. passports. Cases have been brought charging defendants with passport fraud, false statements, false claims of U.S. citizenship, and fraudulent use of social security account numbers. Operation Checkmate represents a unique approach to passport fraud, which concentrates prosecutions in the venues where the passport mega-centers are located, instead of distributing the cases throughout the country where prosecution policies vary. Favorable district court rulings have been obtained in the District of New Hampshire confirming that venue is appropriate in this district in all cases in which the passport application was sent the NPC for adjudication, regardless where the applications were submitted, or where the illegal alien maintains a residence. The goal of Operation Checkmate is to presecute individuals who attempt to obtain U.S. passports to which they are not entitled, and to hold them accountable before they are able to commit further criminal conduct. The State Department is pleased with the initiative and has taken steps to develop Operation Checkmate initiatives at other passport “mega-centers” in New Orleans, Lousiana and Charleston, South Carolina.