The U.S. Department of Justice has launched denaturalization proceedings against 10 naturalized U.S. citizens accused of concealing serious crimes or committing fraud during the naturalization process, marking what the Trump administration says is part of the largest effort ever to revoke fraudulently obtained citizenship.
The civil lawsuits, filed in federal courts across the country over the past month, target individuals convicted of offenses including child sexual abuse, Medicare fraud, immigration fraud, wire fraud and cocaine trafficking. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the federal government can revoke naturalized citizenship if it was illegally obtained or secured through the concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentation.
“These ten criminal aliens — including child sex abusers, a $900,000 Medicare fraudster, and a cocaine trafficker — lied their way into U.S. citizenship,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Each of these individuals lacked the good moral character required by law and procured citizenship through willful misrepresentations and concealment of their crimes.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said individuals who commit fraud during the naturalization process “forfeit the right to keep” U.S. citizenship, while Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said the Justice Department has “only scratched the surface” and plans to file additional denaturalization cases.
Ten Denaturalization Cases
According to the Justice Department, the cases involve the following individuals:
Yoskmaikel Rodriguez Perez, 45, Cuba
Rodriguez Perez became a lawful permanent resident in 2004 and a U.S. citizen in 2018. Prosecutors allege he operated a fraudulent medical clinic before naturalization and submitted more than $886,000 in false Medicare claims, concealing the scheme and lying under oath during his citizenship interview. He later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud. The government alleges he illegally obtained citizenship by concealing his criminal conduct and providing false testimony.
Ceflo Luviano-Mojica, 60, Mexico
Federal officials say Luviano-Mojica falsely claimed during the naturalization process that he had never been arrested or jailed, despite prior arrests for carrying a concealed firearm and grand theft that resulted in 30 days in jail. He was previously convicted in federal court for providing false information on a naturalization application. The Justice Department argues those false statements invalidate his citizenship.
Urbano Vazquez Ortega, 53, Mexico
A former Catholic priest, Vazquez Ortega was convicted in Washington, D.C., of multiple counts of second-degree child sexual abuse after prosecutors said he sexually assaulted minors between 2015 and 2017 while serving at a church. He is serving a 15-year prison sentence. The government alleges he committed the offenses before, during and after becoming a U.S. citizen in 2017 and concealed conduct that disqualified him from naturalization.
Murtaza Ali, 65, Pakistan
According to court filings, Ali used multiple identities while applying for immigration benefits before ultimately obtaining permanent residency and citizenship under the alias “Muhammad Iqbal.” Investigators later matched fingerprints from the various applications, leading to a federal conviction for making false statements. The lawsuit alleges he obtained citizenship through identity fraud and repeated misrepresentations.
Jimmy Aguero, 51, Peru
The Justice Department alleges Aguero repeatedly sexually abused his minor stepdaughter before becoming a U.S. citizen in 2015. He was later convicted on eight counts of sexual abuse of a minor and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors contend he concealed the abuse during the naturalization process and therefore lacked the good moral character required for citizenship.
Antonio Alcantara-Ruiz, 53, Mexico
Also known as Emiliano Quintana-Gonzalez and Antonio Quinn Alcantara, Alcantara-Ruiz allegedly purchased another person’s identity documents and used them to obtain a replacement permanent resident card before applying for naturalization under the false identity. The government is seeking to revoke his citizenship based on identity fraud and material misrepresentations.
Omar Cantu-Montalvo, 44, Mexico
Cantu-Montalvo became a U.S. citizen in 2005 after stating he had not committed any crimes for which he had not been arrested. Federal prosecutors later determined he had already joined a cocaine trafficking conspiracy months before submitting his citizenship application. He eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and was sentenced to 100 months in prison. The lawsuit alleges he concealed the offense during the naturalization process.
Francisco Montano, 59, Mexico
Montano became a U.S. citizen in 1997 but allegedly failed to disclose that he had sexually abused a child during the required five-year good moral character period before naturalization. He was later convicted in Texas of two counts of aggravated sexual assault and four counts of indecency with a child for offenses committed during that period. The Justice Department argues he should never have been eligible for citizenship.
Marcin Stanislaw Garbacz, 47, Poland
Garbacz, a former Roman Catholic priest, became a lawful permanent resident in 2008 and a U.S. citizen in 2014. Prosecutors allege he stole nearly $260,000 from South Dakota parishes before naturalization and secretly recorded a 17-year-old showering during a church trip to Poland. He was later convicted of wire fraud, filing a false tax return and engaging in illicit sexual conduct involving a minor overseas. The government says he concealed those crimes while seeking citizenship.
Martin Garcia Cardiel, 60, Mexico
Garcia Cardiel became a U.S. citizen in 2011 after stating he had never committed undisclosed crimes or provided false information to immigration officials. In 2022, he was convicted in Utah on 19 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child involving two sisters who were 7 and 8 years old when the abuse began in 2007. He received consecutive prison terms of 15 years to life. The Justice Department alleges he concealed the offenses while applying for citizenship.
Denaturalization Authority
The Justice Department emphasized that denaturalization is a civil process authorized under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Citizenship may be revoked if it was illegally procured or obtained through the concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentation.
The lawsuits were filed in federal district courts in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Washington. If successful, the individuals would lose their U.S. citizenship and could face removal proceedings if they have no other legal basis to remain in the country.
Provided by Dallas Express
