‘Love square’: Reason Hannah Kobayashi went missing

Friends have revealed the reason Hannah Kobayashi went missing for a month, after her family confirmed she was safe and well.

A 30-year-old American woman who vanished for a month was allegedly part of “love square” immigration scam, her friends have claimed.

Hannah Kobayashi’s family were desperately worried after she broke off contact with them in early November.

She had been due to fly from her home in Maui, Hawaii, to New York but she missed her connecting flight in Los Angeles.

Fears for her welfare rose when it emerged she had been in the company of an unidentified man in the hours before her disappearance.

However, it has now been claimed that Ms Kobayashi has actually fled across the border to Mexico and was part of an elaborate immigration scam involving her ex-boyfriend and a couple from Argentina, it has been reported.

It comes after the LAPD deemed her as “voluntarily” missing when they found surveillance footage of her crossing the border into Mexico alone with her luggage and passport.

Hannah Kobayashi was seen leaving LAX airport when she was due to get a connecting flight to New York. Credit: facebook/Roamandconquer1

Amun Muniz-Miranda, Kobayashi's ex-boyfriend was allegedly part of a Green Card scam with her and a couple from Argentina. Credit: Waxahachie Police Department

According to the Daily Mail, Ms Kobayashi was allegedly travelling to New York on the day of her disappearance, November 11, with her new Green Card husband Alan Cacace from Argentina.

Also onboard the flight to the Big Apple were Ms Kobayashi’s ex-boyfriend Amun Miranda and his Green Card wife Marianne, Cacace’s ex-girlfriend.

Ms Kobayashi and her ex-boyfriend had reportedly planned their “bucket list trip” to New York together months ago for what was meant to be just a vacation.

Ms Kobayashi had reportedly told work friends all of the details of the sham marriage plot. Credit: Instagram/midorieve

But it reportedly turned into a Green Card scam after they met Cacace and Marianne from Argentina in Maui.

The group trip allegedly saw Cacace give Ms Kobayashi $15,000 while promising to pay her the same amount again when immigration documents confirmed he could stay in the US.

The pair got married in October with pictures of the sham ceremony being shown to Ms Kobayashi’s co-workers.

Her new husband allegedly thought that the couple needed some more convincing pictures for immigration officials.

Cacace reportedly decided that they should take some loved-up photographs at major sites in New York City such as in Central Park and in front of the Empire State Building.

Kobayashi has said she is safe in Mexico while her ex-boyfriend Miranda has returned home. Credit: Instagram/midorieve

However arguing allegedly broke out between the group with Ms Kobayashi reportedly not wanting the Argentinian couple on the trip at all and did not want to waste time taking photographs and ruin her itinerary.

There was a lot of friction between the two women, Ms Kobayashi’s colleagues said.

“I do remember Hannah saying that the girlfriend had an issue with her,” her colleague Desiree told the Mail.

“And Hannah was like, ‘Girl, I’m not trying to steal your man. This is an arrangement we all talked about beforehand.’”

Days after she was reported missing by her family, Ms Kobayashi’s friends started questioning the group to find out what happened on the New York trip.

Desiree contacted Miranda who she knew from high school asking who Cacace and Marianne were and if they made it to New York.

She told Ms Kobayashi’s ex-boyfriend that the situation “seems very sus” and told him that it was his job to tell her family when Ms Kobayashi failed to get the connecting flight.

“She’s an adult and I’d heard she’d also possibly had plans in Cali,” he replied.

“I have no reason to get off a plane and miss time on my own trip for something I thought was as simple as just missing one flight and catching the next available one.”

He added that he and Ms Kobayashi had split up four months ago and “agreed to no contact” while also defending her Green Card husband Cacace.

“Her husband is sweet and just a lil guy and wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Miranda wrote.

“He has nothing to do with any of this.”

After Ms Kobayashi reached out to her family to confirm she was safe, they released a statement saying they were “relieved and grateful.”

“This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through,” the statement read.

“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time. Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”

Sara Azari, the family’s attorney, did not confirm where Kobayashi was found or why she travelled to Mexico and has not responded to a request for comment.

She told The Sun last week that the family is completely in the dark about any alleged marriage.

Despite Ms Kobayashi being safe, the ordeal saw her father Ryan die by suicide in an LA parking garage on November 24 after he launched an extensive search for his daughter.

It is not known if she is aware of her father’s death.

Her family and co-workers are hoping to get more answers from Kobayashi as to exactly why she went to Mexico rather than to New York for her dream trip.

LA investigators have said it is unlikely they will receive any answers as they have “no reason to compel her to see us,” Lt. Doug Oldfield of the LAPD’s missing persons unit previously told People.

“It’s a big news story, so she may decide to come with a lawyer, but she is not obligated to speak to us.”

- With The Sun