Uzbek authorities detained a man on fraud charges for allegedly promising to arrange the emigration of another man to the United States. A spokeperson for Uzbek prosecutors said the unnamed man, who had a history of fraud convictions, asked for $15,000 to help arrange the trip to the United States via Mexico. No further information was released. The case comes amid an uptick in the number of emigrants from Central Asia seeking to travel to the United States via Mexico and Latin America, some of which are visa-free for Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz, and Kazakh citizens. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, click here.
