- The D-O-J filed civil actions to denaturalize ten individuals for serious crimes and immigration fraud.
- Allegations include child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and identity fraud totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- The administration aims to refer one hundred to two hundred cases per month for citizenship revocation.
The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday, July 20, 2026, that they filed civil denaturalization actions against 10 naturalized citizens convicted of serious crimes or accused of significant immigration fraud.
The complaints went to various U.S. district courts during the past 30 days. The cases involve alleged identity fraud, concealed criminal conduct, child sexual abuse, Medicare fraud and cocaine trafficking.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the government’s allegations show the individuals did not meet the legal requirement of good moral character when they obtained citizenship.
Free toolI-94 Expiration Calculator Online“These ten criminal aliens — including child sex abusers, a $900,000 Medicare fraudster, and a cocaine trafficker — lied their way into U.S. citizenship. 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.”
The cases do not immediately strip anyone of citizenship. A court must rule for the government first.
If the government prevails, each person’s Certificate of Naturalization can be canceled. That would return the individual to non-citizen status and can leave the person removable from the United States.
The legal stakes come before the case details
The Immigration and Nationality Act permits revocation when citizenship was “illegally procured” or “procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.” The civil complaints rely on allegations that applicants hid criminal conduct, used false identities or supplied misleading information during the immigration process.
The administration has also directed USCIS to refer 100–200 cases per month to the Justice Department. Denaturalizing could therefore become a more frequent federal enforcement action than it was historically.
From 1990–2017, denaturalization averaged 11 cases per year. The July 2025 Justice Department memo prioritized cases involving undisclosed war crimes, terrorist acts or serious felonies.
The process begins with a civil complaint in federal court. A successful case can cancel the naturalization certificate, after which the government typically moves to remove the person, especially when a criminal conviction already exists.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Civil Division said the department expects the complaints to continue.
“We refuse to give a free pass to criminals who cheated their way into American citizenship. 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 10 complaints span five countries and several types of alleged misconduct
The targets come from Cuba, Poland, Peru, Pakistan and Mexico. Their cases differ, but each complaint centers on criminal conduct or information allegedly withheld from immigration officials.
| Individual | Origin | Conduct cited in the complaint |
|---|---|---|
| Yosmaikel Rodriguez Perez | Cuba | Concealed a $886,000+ Medicare fraud scheme; naturalized in 2018 |
| Marcin Stanislaw Garbacz | Poland | Former priest convicted of wire fraud, tax offenses and illicit sexual conduct with a minor abroad |
| Jimmy Aguero | Peru | Convicted of 8 counts of sexual abuse involving his minor stepdaughter; sentenced to 10 years |
| Murtaza Ali, also known as Muhammad Iqbal | Pakistan | Used three different identities and aliases to secure immigration benefits and citizenship |
| Urbano Vazquez Ortega | Mexico | Former priest convicted of Second-Degree Child Sexual Abuse involving multiple minors in D.C. |
| Martin Garcia Cardiel | Mexico | Convicted of 19 counts of aggravated sexual abuse involving child neighbors |
| Francisco Montano | Mexico | Convicted of Aggravated Sexual Assault and Indecency with a Child in Texas |
| Omar Cantu-Montalvo | Mexico | Involved in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy involving 5kg+ just months before naturalizing |
| Antonio Alcantara-Ruiz | Mexico | Accused of using another person’s identity documents to obtain permanent residence and citizenship |
| Ceflo Luviano-Mojica | Mexico | Falsely denied prior arrests for grand theft and a concealed firearm during naturalization |
The allegations include both convictions and claims about conduct before naturalization. The complaints do not produce an automatic loss of citizenship.
Officials frame fraud as the basis for removal proceedings
The department’s legal theory differs from case to case. Rodriguez Perez allegedly concealed a Medicare fraud scheme exceeding $886,000 and became a citizen in 2018. Cantu-Montalvo allegedly joined a cocaine trafficking conspiracy involving more than five kilograms only months before naturalizing.
Identity records form the central allegation against other targets. The government accuses Alcantara-Ruiz of using another person’s documents to obtain permanent residence and citizenship. It says Ali used three identities and aliases to secure immigration benefits.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said fraud during the naturalization process forfeits the right to retain citizenship.
“When you commit fraud during the naturalization process, you forfeit the right to keep your U.S. citizenship. 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 department described the 10 cases as part of a broader effort focused on drug traffickers, child sexual offenders and fraudsters. The civil actions now proceed in the federal courts where prosecutors filed them.
A final ruling will determine whether the certificates are canceled. Removal proceedings may follow after denaturalization, particularly for people with existing criminal convictions.
