Trump admin’s fraud crackdown targets foreigners accused of infiltrating US federal programs
The Trump administration is intensifying its efforts to target foreign nationals accused of defrauding the U.S. government, as the FBI and other federal agencies pursue suspects operating from overseas.
Last week, the FBI released a “Most Wanted” list highlighting alleged fraud suspects as the administration continues its broader crackdown on fraud. Officials say the involvement of foreign nationals in multiple schemes has heightened concerns about overseas actors exploiting U.S. government programs.
Among those named is Onur Simsek, a Turkish national whom the FBI believes is living in Turkey. Prosecutors accuse Simsek of leading a defense procurement fraud scheme that secured U.S. military contracts by falsely certifying Turkish-made parts as tested and qualified, potentially rendering critical military equipment inoperable.
Federal authorities allege Simsek is one of a number of foreign nationals who have infiltrated and exploited U.S. federal funds to obtain taxpayer funds.
In a statement, General Services Administration Administrator Ed Forst pointed to Simsek’s alleged conduct while discussing the administration’s efforts to combat fraud.
“Simsek’s alleged procurement fraud deprived taxpayers of value, denied honest businesses fair opportunity, and diverted critical resources from American warfighters,” Forst said. “Under President Trump and Vice President Vance, GSA will continue working relentlessly to identify and hold accountable those who try to cheat the federal marketplace and steal from the American people.”
The General Services Administration Office of Inspector General has assisted in the investigation, according to the agency.
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Foreign nationals have become a focus of the administration’s broader fraud investigations, including scrutiny of an alleged Medicaid and child care fraud scheme involving members of Minnesota’s Somali community that sparked clashes between federal agents and protesters earlier this year.
In an interview with Fox News Digital last month, Vice President JD Vance said authorities have observed what he described as a “clear pattern” in some fraud cases involving immigrant communities.
“You definitely see patterns in certain communities,” Vance said. “It’ll start as maybe one Somali person takes advantage of the system, or realizes you don’t even have to have children to get money from these programs. You could just claim that you have children, there’s no verification. Then, word spreads like wildfire, and that program gets tapped into by the same members of that community.”
According to the Justice Department, Simsek and his co-conspirators used a U.S.-based front company between April 2019 and February 2022 to obtain contracts to supply parts for Navy submarines, Marine Corps armored vehicles, Army M-60 tanks and other military equipment. Prosecutors allege the parts were manufactured in Turkey, then repackaged to conceal their country of origin before being sold to the U.S. government.
The “War Dogs” -style scheme was also allegedly in collaboration with Yuksel Senbol, who was sentenced to prison for conspiracy to defraud in 2024. An arrest warrant for Simsek was ordered in Tampa, Florida in October 2023.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to Simsek’s arrest and conviction.
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In late July, the FBI arrested Khalid Ahmed Satary, who FBI Director Kash Patel said participated in a conspiracy that fraudulently billed Medicare more than $547 million for medically unnecessary genetic tests between 2016 and 2019.
“The arrest of Khalid Ahmed Satary and return to the U.S. is the third Most Wanted Fraudster capture from this FBI and our partners in just five weeks — continuing the historic run of success for this new initiative,” Patel told Fox News Digital.
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