The Department of Justice filed civil denaturalization actions in federal district courts against 10 naturalized U.S. citizens over the last 30 days. The complaints allege that the individuals committed serious crimes—including child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and financial fraud—and concealed their conduct or lied during the naturalization process.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the federal government can revoke a naturalized citizen’s citizenship and cancel their certificate if citizenship was illegally procured or obtained through the concealment of a material fact 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. “Each of these individuals lacked the good moral character required by law and procured citizenship through willful misrepresentations and concealment of their crimes. Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue denaturalization to restore integrity to America’s naturalization process.”
“When you commit fraud during the naturalization process, you forfeit the right to keep your U.S. citizenship,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “These criminal aliens, comprised of drug traffickers, pedophiles, and fraudsters, lost that right and exploited our immigration system—harming real U.S. citizens. DHS is committed to ensuring we denaturalize and remove these fraudsters with every tool at our disposal.”
The individual complaints detail allegations across nine federal court districts:
Yoskmaikel Rodriguez Perez, 45, a native of Cuba, naturalized in 2018. The DOJ filed a four-count complaint in the Southern District of Florida on June 18, 2026, alleging Rodriguez Perez fraudulently submitted over $886,694 in Medicare claims before naturalizing, concealed the conduct during his interview under oath, and was later convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud.
Ceflo Luviano-Mojica, 60, a native of Mexico, was named in a two-count action filed July 14, 2026, in the Northern District of Georgia. The government alleges Luviano hid a prior arrest for Carrying a Concealed Firearm and Grand Theft, and noted his 1998 conviction for Providing False Information in a Naturalization Application.
Urbano Vazquez Ortega, 53, a native of Mexico, naturalized in July 2017. The DOJ filed a five-count complaint on July 10, 2026, stemming from his 2019 D.C. Superior Court conviction for multiple counts of Second-Degree Child Sexual Abuse involving minors while working as a priest in Washington, D.C., between 2015 and 2017. He is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence.
Murtaza Ali, 65, a native of Pakistan, naturalized in 2009 under the alias “Muhammad Iqbal.” On July 14, 2026, the DOJ filed a four-count action in the Northern District of Texas, citing Ali’s 2014 guilty plea for making false statements after fingerprint comparisons revealed he applied for immigration benefits using three different identities.
Jimmy Aguero, 51, a native of Peru, naturalized in October 2015. The DOJ filed suit alleging Aguero was statutorily barred from showing good moral character and concealed facts regarding his prior sexual abuse of his minor stepdaughter, for which a jury later convicted him on eight counts, resulting in a 10-year prison sentence.
Antonio Alcantara-Ruiz, 53, a native of Mexico, was named in a four-count complaint filed June 23, 2026. The government alleges he purchased identity documents from another Mexican citizen to secure a replacement permanent resident card and used the false identity during his naturalization process.
Omar Cantu-Montalvo, 44, a native of Mexico, naturalized in December 2005. The DOJ filed a complaint on June 15, 2026, alleging he failed to disclose a drug distribution conspiracy he joined in April 2005. Cantu-Montalvo later pleaded guilty in 2016 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine and was sentenced to 100 months in prison.
Francisco Montano, 59, a native of Mexico, naturalized in 1997. On June 30, 2026, the DOJ filed a complaint in the Southern District of Texas alleging Montano failed to disclose child sexual abuse committed during his mandatory five-year statutory period. He was later convicted in Texas state court on two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault and four counts of Indecency with a Child.
Marcin Stanislaw Garbacz, 47, a native of Poland and former priest, naturalized in 2014. The government filed a four-count action on July 6, 2026, in the Western District of Washington, alleging Garbacz failed to disclose stealing roughly $259,696 from South Dakota parishes and secretly recording a minor showering. He was later convicted of federal wire fraud, tax offenses, and illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place involving a minor.
Martin Garcia Cardiel, 60, a native of Mexico, naturalized in October 2011. The DOJ filed a complaint in the District of Utah on July 6, 2026, citing his 2022 Utah state conviction on 19 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of two child neighbors, with acts dating back to 2007. He received a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
“We refuse to give a free pass to criminals who cheated their way into American citizenship,” Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said. “Under this administration, if you defrauded the naturalization process, you will face the full force of the Justice Department. We’ve only scratched the surface — many more complaints are coming.”
The lawsuits were filed in federal courts across Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
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