CBP Officers in Buffalo Arrest Imposter

Niagara Falls, N.Y. — U. S. Customs and Border Protection announced the arrest of a citizen of Albania on charges of false statements and misuse of a passport.

On Jan. 25, CBP officers encountered a 29-year-old male at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The subject stated that he was traveling to the area to sightsee for the afternoon. The subject presented an Italian passport and claimed to be an Italian citizen. The CBP officer’s suspicions were raised as the passport’s biographical page appeared to be tampered with. The subject was referred to CBP secondary enforcement for verification of his citizenship.

During the secondary exam, further examination of the passport revealed that the legitimate photo had been substituted with the subject’s actual photo. A query of the subject’s fingerprints resulted in a mismatch to the passport information. Further secondary checks revealed the true identity of the subject as Nosh Gjura, a 29-year-old citizen from Albania.

Gjura was arrested by CBP police officers and charged with false statements and misuse of a passport. He is currently being detained at the Erie County Holding Center in Buffalo, N.Y. pending prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.