Last week we reported that the State Department had shut down the US consulate in Nuevo Laredo in Mexico as a result of a b ri b ery scandal. This week indictments were announced against various employees of the consulate.

Miguel Partida, a visa officer and a US citizen, was charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud while working at the consulate. Partida was arrested in Laredo , Texas on Wednesday.

The prior week, three Mexicans were charged in the case as well. The defendants are Sergio Genaro Ochoa-Alarcon 31, Benjamin Antonio Ayala-Morales, 34 and Ramon Al b erto Torres-Galvin, 34. The men worked as visa clerks at the US consulate. All are in custody.

According to the indictment against Partida, agents of the Diplomatic Security Service initiated an investigation last year into allegations that Consulate employees were involved in a scheme to provide visas and b order crossing cards in exchange for money. Visas were apparently b ought for around $1500 without the required interviews and without a dete rm ina tion that the person was qualified for a visa.

The US consulate in Nuevo Laredo issued 100,000 visas last year, b ut federal authorities have refused to state how many visas were sold in the alleged scheme. Authorities did say, however, that they b elieve the scheme was directed b y a woman in Mexico named Margarita Martinez Ramirez. Authorities have not yet located her.