3 connected to San Bernardino shooter arrested in marriage fraud conspiracy

LOS ANGELES — Three people connected to one of the San Bernardino shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook, have been arrested in a marriage fraud conspiracy, including his brother and sister-in-law, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

The third person arrested is the wife of Enrique Marquez Jr., a friend of Farook’s who has been charged for his alleged role in aiding the violence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The two women arrested are Russian immigrants.

Prosecutors say the three participated in a marriage fraud conspiracy that involved lying under oath to obtain immigration benefits. The arrests came after the FBI and other law enforcement agencies served warrants in the Southern California cities of Corona and Ontario.

Attorneys representing the Farook family didn’t immediately return calls for comment.

The Dec. 2 shootings carried out by Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, were the deadliest terror strike on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001.

The couple opened fire at an annual training of Farook’s San Bernardino County co-workers. The 14 people killed and 22 wounded were mainly his colleagues.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.