MIAMI – Authorities say a Florida language school helped illegally obtain student visas for foreign nationals who never went to class.
The U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sloman said Thursday in Miami that none of the 81 students detained has been linked to terrorism.
The school's owner, 58-year-old Lydia Menocal, and 75-year-old employee Ofelia Macia allegedly made $2.4 million over the past three years from foreign nationals applying for U.S. student visas.
Authorities say the women should have reported the absences under laws that took effect after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Menocal and Macia were charged with conspiring to commit an offense against the U.S.
Messages left for the women's attorney were not immediately returned.
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