Justice Department Moves to Strip Citizenship from 40 Convicted Criminals in Largest Single-Period Filing Under the Trump Administration

The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed denaturalization actions in multiple U.S. district courts against 40 individuals accused of serious offenses, including acting as an agent for a foreign government, committing voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated sodomy against a special-needs man. Filed between Aug. 21 and Oct. 2, 2026, these complaints represent the largest volume of complaints submitted in a single period under the Trump administration.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen's citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.

"Today's announcement marks the largest denaturalization effort in modern history," said Attorney General Todd Blanche. "From an individual convicted of espionage to others convicted of sexual offenses against minors, these defendants concealed critical facts from the U.S. government and represent serious criminal offenders. Under President Trump's leadership, the Department of Justice will continue to employ the denaturalization process to maintain our national security and protect the American people."

"Every single one of these individuals lied their way into U.S. citizenship," said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division. "This administration will continue to pursue the largest denaturalization effort in department history to restore trust and integrity in U.S. citizenship. Our message is clear: the United States will not tolerate deception in the naturalization process."

1. Yusmary Shirley Duran Mejia (Colombia/Age 47): On Aug. 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Yusmary Shirley Duran Mejia, a resident of Hialeah, Florida, because she committed immigration fraud in her naturalization proceedings. Duran Mejia entered the United States in 2007 and naturalized in 2018. In 2019, she was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. In criminal proceedings she admitted that she became involved in the illegal enterprise before she became a citizen. In 2020, she was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956, for her efforts in concealing proceeds from unlawful activity. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Duran Mejia's naturalization because her criminal acts and her false testimony in naturalization proceedings rendered her unable to demonstrate the required good moral character for naturalization and because she procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Southern District of Florida).
2. Iain Lumsden (United Kingdom/Age 50): On Aug. 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Colorado seeking the denaturalization Iain Lumsden. On or about Feb. 26, 2020, Mr. Lumsden knowingly transported the visual depiction in a computer file, which involved the visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On Aug. 11, 2020, the Defendant admitted to law enforcement that he first viewed child pornography five to ten years before Aug. 11, 2020, and admitted to conducting searches for child pornography prior to naturalizing. On Dec. 2, 2020, Mr. Lumsden was charged with one count of Transportation of Child Pornography under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(1), 2252(b)(1). On Aug. 27, 2021, Mr. Lumsden entered a plea of guilty to Transportation of Child Pornography under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(1), 2252(b)(1) and he was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison. During the naturalization process Mr. Lumsden represented under penalty of perjury that: (1) that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; and (2) he never provided false, fraudulent or misleading information to a U.S. Government official. Neither were true. (District of Colorado).
3. Gume Roberto Garza (Mexico/Age 59): On Aug. 28, the United States brought a denaturalization action in the Southern District of Texas against Gume Roberto Garza, also known as Gumercindo Garza Perez, also known as Gerardo Vasquez, also known as Gerardo Vazquez, who misrepresented his identity and concealed his criminal history to secure citizenship. Prior to the naturalization process, Garza entered the United States illegally and secured and retained a Texas driver's license bearing the name, social security number, and date of birth belonging to United States citizen Gerardo Vazquez. Garza, posing as Gerardo Vazquez, was arrested on multiple occasions for drug offenses. When he applied to naturalize in 2010, Garza concealed his use of an alias and prior criminal history. In 2013, Garza pleaded guilty to making a false under-oath statement in a naturalization matter in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a). As Garza should not have been naturalized, the United States filed a complaint to revoke his illegally-obtained citizenship. (Southern District of Texas).
4. Ramiro Escot Esparza (Mexico/Age 60): On Aug. 27, the United States brought a denaturalization action against Ramiro Escot Esparza in the Central District of California for illegally obtaining United States citizenship. Escot Esparza became a permanent resident in 1990 and applied for citizenship in 2008. However, Escot Esparza concealed that he had engaged in multiple acts of sexual misconduct against a minor victim in his application and during his citizenship interview in 2009. Just months after obtaining citizenship, Escot Esparza pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a minor victim. By concealing his multiple acts of sexual abuse of a minor during his citizenship application process, Escot Esparza is subject to revocation of his naturalized citizenship. (Central District of California).
5. Javier Marrero-Pando (Cuba/Age 60): On Aug. 31, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Middle District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Javier Marrero-Pando, a resident of Athens, Georgia, because he failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings that he had committed aggravated sodomy against a special needs man. In June 2022, he was convicted by guilty plea for aggravated sodomy. During his plea hearing, Mr. Marrero-Pando admitted that, in May 2020, he forced the victim to perform sexual acts against the victim's will. For that offense, he was sentenced to life in prison, with all but 15 years suspended. At his naturalization interview in October 2020, Mr. Marrero-Pando falsely stated under oath that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested, inducing immigration authorities to grant his naturalization application. The United States filed a three-count complaint against Mr. Marrero-Pando seeking his denaturalization due to his illegal procurement of naturalization, lack of good moral character, and false statements in his naturalization proceedings. (Middle District of Georgia).
6. Ahmad Bahar Khattak (Pakistan/Age 69): On Aug. 21, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia to revoke the naturalized U.S. citizenship of Ahmad Bahar Khattak, also known as Bahar Ahmad and Said Umar Khan. The complaint alleges seven distinct counts seeking the revocation of his U.S. citizenship, asserting that his naturalization was illegally procured due to pre-existing removal proceedings, a lack of lawful permanent resident status, jurisdictional defects, statutory inadmissibility, a failure to demonstrate the requisite good moral character through criminal acts and false testimony under oath, and the willful concealment of material facts regarding his dual identity and prior deportation history. Ahmad Bahar Khattak illegally procured his naturalization and willfully concealed material facts by engaging in a multi-decade fraudulent scheme utilizing dual identities to evade deportation and secure immigration benefits. Specifically, after an Immigration Judge ordered Ahmad Bahar Khattak excluded in absentia in 1994 under the alias of Said Umar Khan, he concurrently applied for immigration benefits and ultimately naturalized on Mar. 20, 2008, under the identity of Bahar Ahmad without disclosing his prior exclusion order. Following his naturalization, he continued his deceptive conduct by leveraging his unlawfully acquired status to obtain U.S. passports and sponsor family members for immigration benefits. In light of the foregoing factual premises, the United States is moving to revoke his citizenship and Certificate of Naturalization. (Eastern District of Virginia).
7. Ahmed Khan (Pakistan/Age 73): On Sept. 4, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Ohio seeking the denaturalization of Ahmed Khan, based on marriage fraud. After arriving in the United States from Pakistan in 1999, Khan secured a bogus death certificate for his still-living Pakistani wife and then married a U.S. citizen. Relying on that bigamous marriage, Khan obtained permanent residence in 2002 by falsely representing both the death of his Pakistani wife and that he did not plan to practice polygamy in the United States. His misrepresentations at the start of his immigration journey made him inadmissible and ultimately ineligible for U.S. citizenship. Khan nevertheless unlawfully naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2008 by failing to disclose his ongoing marriage to his Pakistani wife; providing false testimony during his naturalization interview; committing unlawful acts, including immigration fraud, that adversely reflected on his moral character; and willfully misrepresenting material facts about his marriage history and other matters throughout his naturalization proceedings. (Southern District of Ohio).
8. Balwinder Singh (India/Age 55): On Sept. 8, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Balwinder Singh for using a fraudulent identity to gain admission to and naturalization in the United States. In 1992, Singh submitted an immigration application under the identity of Balwinder Singh. In 2003, Singh sought and received permanent resident status under a second identity. Fingerprints establish that Singh submitted both applications. In 2009, Singh naturalized under his second identity. The complaint alleges seven counts for his numerous misrepresentations and unlawful acts that adversely reflect his moral character. (Eastern District of California).
9. Jose Ramiro Montiel Carrasco (Mexico/Age 57): On Sept. 14, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Middle District of Florida, seeking the denaturalization of Jose Ramiro Montiel Carrasco, who sexually abused a minor and committed incest before he naturalized. Motiel Carrasco failed to disclose his crimes throughout his naturalization. After he naturalized, Montiel Carrasco was convicted in Florida state court for sexual battery and incest and respectively sentenced to concurrent terms of 8 and 5 years' imprisonment. Montiel Carrasco began his abhorrent acts of sexual abuse in or about 2000, when his victim was fourteen or fifteen years old. Throughout his naturalization proceedings, Montiel Carrasco failed to disclose material facts, including his unlawful acts, and he provided false testimony under oath. Accordingly, the United States seeks to denaturalize Montiel Carrasco on the basis that he illegally procured United States citizenship, namely, he lacked the requisite good moral character for naturalization, and because he willfully misrepresented material facts during his naturalization proceedings. (Middle District of Florida).
10. Arnel Dacumos Tabafunda (Philippines/Age 47): On Sept. 15, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Central District of California seeking the denaturalization of Arnel Dacumos Tabafunda, based on sexual abuse of a child that Tabafunda failed to report during his naturalization proceedings. Before he naturalized as a U.S. citizen, Tabafunda began sexually abusing a child under the age of thirteen. By concealing his crimes during his naturalization process, Tabafunda became a U.S. citizen in September 2005. After he naturalized, a jury found him guilty of two counts of committing lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under the age of fourteen years, in violation of Cal. Penal Code § 288(a), and he was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. Tabafunda was in a position of trust with the victim, and he abused that trust through his repeated acts of sexual abuse from February 2005 through November 2005. Accordingly, Tabafunda illegally procured his naturalization because he committed his sexual abuse crimes during a period in which he was required to demonstrate good moral character to naturalize. He also procured his naturalization by willfully concealing the material fact of his criminal conduct when his naturalization application required him to disclose it. (Central District of California).
11. Syed Mashood Ul Haque (Pakistan/Age 66): On Sept. 16, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Syed Ul Haque because he used dual identities to violate U.S. immigration law. Ul Haque entered the United States on a tourist visa in 1993 under his current identity, then overstayed this visa. In 1994, Ul Haque used the identity "Mashud Ahmad" to apply for asylum. When the government denied his asylum application, he failed to appear for his immigration hearing and evaded lawful deportation. After remaining illegally in the United States for decades, Ul Haque used his current identity to take advantage of a family-based immigration petition and become a permanent resident in 2005. Ul Haque later naturalized as a U.S. citizen. The United States seeks Ul Haque's denaturalization because he was never lawfully admitted as a permanent resident due to his prior deportation order under a fraudulent identity, and he concealed this throughout his naturalization process. (Southern District of Florida).
12. Douglas Chukwuka Eze (Citizenship Unknown/Adult, Age Unknown). On Aug. 10, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Douglas Chukwuka Eze, also known as Anthony Chux Ezehez, because he committed immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. In 2023, Eze was convicted of two counts of False Swearing in Immigration Matter, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546, based on his admission that, in the 1990's, he stole a birth certificate belonging to Spencer Douglas Callaghan and used Mr. Callaghan's identity to obtain immigration benefits. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Eze's naturalization because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations, he illegally procured his lawful permanent resident status by misrepresenting his identity and criminal history, and he provided false testimony when he lied under penalty of perjury in his naturalization proceedings. (District of Maryland).
13. Gilberto Barraza (Mexico/Age 58): On Sept. 18, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Arizona seeking the denaturalization of Gilberto Barraza because he fraudulently claimed to be a U.S. citizen when he was not. Barraza entered the United States illegally in 1987 and applied for a U.S. passport in 1992, falsely claiming to have been born in the United States. In support, he submitted a forged California birth certificate. Later, he married a U.S. citizen and used this marriage to become a permanent resident of the United States, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen in 2008 by concealing and lying about his passport fraud. The United States seeks Barraza's denaturalization because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence and made numerous material misstatements to obtain his U.S. citizenship. (District of Arizona).
14. Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu (Sierra Leone/Age 58): On Sept. 18, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Northern District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu, also known as John Samuel, Sylvester Akingbemisilu, and Anthony Davies, because he committed immigration fraud. Before he became a citizen in 2008, Akingbemisilu entered the United States and was ordered removed under the name Anthony Davies. He reentered using a fraudulent British passport under the name John Samuel and married a U.S. citizen, which he used to adjust status to permanent resident. During naturalization proceedings, he changed his name to Ifelou Samuel Akingbemisilu and became a U.S. citizen. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Akingbemisilu's naturalization because he did not lawfully adjust status, did not have the required good moral character for naturalization, and procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Northern District of Georgia).
15. Norma Patricia Esparza (Mexico/Age 52): On Sept. 22, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Central District of California, seeking the denaturalization of Norma Patricia Esparza, who committed voluntary manslaughter before she naturalized and failed to disclose her crimes throughout his naturalization. After she naturalized, Esparza was convicted in California state court and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment. Throughout her naturalization proceedings, Esparza failed to disclose material facts, including her unlawful acts, and she provided false testimony under oath. Accordingly, the United States seeks to denaturalize Esparza on the basis that she illegally procured United States citizenship, namely, she lacked the requisite good moral character for naturalization, and because she willfully misrepresented material facts during her naturalization proceedings. (Central District of California).
16. Johyce Martinez (Venezuela/Age 52): On Sept. 22, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Columbia seeking the denaturalization of Johyce Martinez, also known as Johyce Noreidis Sanchez, Raida Martinez, and Raida Martinez Riveron, because she committed immigration fraud. Martinez is a native of Venezuela who entered the United States in 2006 using a fraudulent Cuban birth registration. She was unlawfully granted permanent residence under the Cuban Adjustment Act and maintained the fraudulent Cuban identity when, in 2013, she naturalized as a U.S. citizen. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Martinez's naturalization because she did not lawfully adjust status, did not have the required good moral character for naturalization, and procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (District of Columbia).
17. Varis Jan Safi (Afghanistan/Age 55): On Sept. 24, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of New York seeking the denaturalization of Varis Jan Safi, also known as Tariq Mehmood, a resident of Valley Stream, New York because he illegally procured his naturalization and willfully misrepresented and concealed material facts to the USCIS during his naturalization process. Mr. Safi entered the United States in 1995 under the name of Tariq Mehmood using a forged Pakistani passport. When discovered, he confessed to be an Afghan national and was placed in exclusion proceedings. An immigration judge ordered him excluded from the United States in 1995. Instead of obeying the judge ordered and departing the United States, Mr. Safi fabricated a new identity, married a U.S. Citizens and used this marriage to adjust his status. Mr. Safi never disclosed his multiple identities or simultaneous applications for immigration benefits, among other disqualifying behaviors and unlawful acts when under oath at his naturalization interview. The United States alleges that the court should issue and order revoking Mr. Safi's naturalization and cancels his Certificate of Naturalization because he was ineligible to naturalize when he did, and because he made multiple false statement and misrepresentations in his naturalization proceedings. (Eastern District of New York).
18. Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan Osman (Egypt/Age 62): On Sept. 23, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the denaturalization of Walid Osman because he committed visa fraud prior to becoming a U.S. citizen. In 2001, Osman entered the United States on a tourist visa before extending his stay and pursuing a fraudulent H-1B position with a company run by his family member that provided no meaningful employment to him. Instead, Osman worked as a taxi driver and enjoyed H-1B status in the United States until 2007. He became a permanent resident in 2009 through his spouse's diversity visa and eventually naturalized as a U.S. citizen. The United States seeks Osman's denaturalization because he was not lawfully admitted as a permanent resident due to his visa fraud, and he provided false testimony and made material representations about his fraudulent work history throughout his naturalization process. (Eastern District of Virginia).
19. Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali (Egypt/Age 58): On Sept. 23, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the denaturalization of Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali because she committed visa fraud prior to becoming a U.S. citizen. In 2001 and 2004, Ali sponsored a member of her family to work in H-1B status as an accountant for her company. However, this company conducted no business and provided no meaningful employment to the family member. Ali fraudulently filed work petitions for the purpose of allowing the family member to remain in the United States. The United States seeks Ali's denaturalization because she committed fraud crimes in her H-1B petitions and in her application for U.S. citizenship. Throughout her naturalization process, Ali provided false testimony and material misrepresentations about her work history and sponsoring her family member. (Eastern District of Virginia).
20. Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole (Nigeria/Age 54): On Sept. 25, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole because throughout her naturalization proceedings, she did not disclose prior aliases, prior arrests, a prior immigration benefits application, or prior exclusions and deportations, despite the application asking for such information. The United Sates is charging her with illegally procuring her naturalization through fraud and false testimony. (District of Maryland).
21. Anita Moanjeh Atem (Cameroon/Age 48): On Sept. 25, the Department of Justice filed a case in the District of Maryland seeking the denaturalization of Anita Moanjeh Atem, a native of Cameroon. Ms. Atem naturalized in 2009 by hiding from the Government that from 2004 to 2007, she had sexually abused a minor, a family and household member and over whom Ms. Atem had permanent or temporary care and custody and responsibility. Ms. Atem was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in violation of Maryland Criminal Code 3-602. Accordingly, the United States filed a three-count complaint against Ms. Atem seeking her denaturalization, including claims that she lacked the requisite good moral character to naturalize and made willful misrepresentations to, and concealed material facts from, immigration authorities. (District of Maryland).
22. Dibya Bhattarai (Nepal/Age 40): On Sept. 25, the Department of Justice brought a denaturalization action against Dibya Bhattarai in the Northern District of Texas. Bhattarai illegally secured citizenship by misrepresenting her criminal history throughout the naturalization process. When she applied to naturalize in 2008, Bhattarai claimed that she had not committed any crime for which she had not yet been arrested. She later repeated that claim orally and under oath during her naturalization interview. Based on Bhattarai's written application and testimony at her interview, she was approved for naturalization and naturalized in September 2008. In March 2016, however, Bhattarai pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with immigration documents - a conspiracy that began in June 2007, over a year before her naturalization interview. The United States filed a complaint against Bhattarai seeking to revoke Bhattarai's naturalized citizenship because of her lack of good moral character and her willful misrepresentation and concealment of her criminal conduct while seeking U.S. citizenship. (Northern District of Texas).
23. Syed Furqan Ali (Pakistan/Age 74): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Texas seeking the denaturalization of Syed Furqan Ali after he entered into a fraudulent marriage to obtain U.S. citizenship unlawfully. In 1993, Ali sought naturalization based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen while still married to his first wife, a citizen of Pakistan. In fact, Ali had fabricated his divorce and former wife's death to gain admission to the United States. The complaint against Ali alleges five counts that includes his unlawful adjustment as a permanent resident and false testimony at his naturalization interview that he was divorced and legally married to his second wife at the time of his admission into the United States. (Southern District of Texas).
24. Raul Cisneros (Mexico/Age 76): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the Southern District of California against Raul Cisneros, a native of Mexico. Cisneros received his naturalization based on his representation in his naturalization application that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. In fact, prior to his naturalization application, Cisneros committed acts constituting lewd and lascivious acts on a minor in violation of California Penal Code § 288(a). After obtaining citizenship, Cisneros was convicted pursuant to his guilty plea of two felony counts in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, North County Division, and sentenced to six years' imprisonment. (Southern District of California).
25. Juan Jose Egusquiza-Vasquez (Age 36/Peru): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Indiana seeking the denaturalization of Juan Jose Egusquiza-Vasquez who was admitted to the United States in November 2000 and subsequently obtained permanent residence. When Egusquiza-Vasquez applied for naturalization in October 2010, he stated in his application that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested. His application was approved and he naturalized in May 2011. In November 2013, however, Egusquiza-Vasquez pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual battery involving a minor in violation of Indiana Code § 35-42-4-8(a)(1)(A), that occurred in March and April 2008, prior to his application for naturalization. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment for his crime. On Sept. 28 the United States brought a denaturalization action against Egusquiza-Vasquez for willfully misrepresenting and concealing his criminal conduct during the naturalization process and providing false information under penalty of perjury for the purpose of obtaining an immigration benefit, namely naturalization. (Southern District of Indiana).
26. Arnouse Merlien (Haiti/Age 48): On Sept. 28, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Arnouse Merlien, a resident of West Palm Beach, Florida, because she committed tax fraud during her naturalization proceedings. Ms. Merlien naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2016. In 2018, in the Northern District of Georgia, Ms. Merlien was charged with, and convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud the Government with Respect to Claims. In the years leading up to her naturalization, Ms. Merlien participated in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government by submitting fraudulent claims for income tax refunds with the IRS. The United States seeks the denaturalization of Ms. Merlien in a three-count complaint alleging she illegally procured her naturalization because of her conviction for tax fraud, her false testimony in naturalization proceedings, which demonstrates she did not have the requisite good moral character needed for naturalization, and because she procured her naturalization by concealment of material facts or by willful misrepresentation. (Southern District of Florida).
27. Francis Darko Asamoah (Ghana/Age 56): On Sept. 30, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the denaturalization of Francis Darko Asamoah, a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, because he lied on his naturalization application regarding if he had children, to shield inquiry into the legitimacy of his marriage to a U.S. citizen. Mr. Asamoah naturalized in 2013. Mr. Asamoah was married to a U.S. citizen prior to his naturalization, and whom he gained permanent residence through. During his naturalization interview in 2013, Mr. Asamoah testified under oath that he had no children. However, a Virginia Certificate of Live Birth, listed Mr. Asamoah as the father to a child born in July 2011. The mother of the child was not his U.S. citizen spouse. Shortly after naturalization, Mr. Asamoah divorced his U.S. citizen spouse. In subsequent immigration filings after naturalization, Mr. Asamoah acknowledged the existence of the child born in July 2011. Mr. Asamoah's false testimony during his naturalization proceedings prevented immigration authorities from investigating the bona fides of the marriage to his U.S. citizen spouse. (Eastern District of Virginia).
28. Ralph Nabavi (Iran/Ager 69): On Sept. 30, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Ralph Nabavi, a resident of Miami, Florida, because he unlawfully evaded paying federal income taxes before he became a U.S. citizen in 2014. In 2019, he was charged with tax evasion for underreporting at least $12.5 million dollars in income and underpaying $3.5 million in federal income taxes. Nabavi admitted when he pleaded guilty that he began transferring funds from his business to personal accounts to avoid paying income taxes beginning in 2013 before he naturalized in 2014, though the evidence indicates that he began at least as early as 2012. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Nabavi's naturalization because his criminal act and false testimony in naturalization proceedings rendered him unable to demonstrate the required good moral character for naturalization and because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Southern District of Florida).
29. Gracia de Rodriguez (Mexico/Age 52): On Sept. 30, the Justice Department filed a complaint in the District of Arizona seeking the denaturalization of Consuela Gracia de Rodriguez, a native of Mexico. Over a nearly twenty-year period, Gracia de Rodriguez lied to U.S. government officials about her spouse's identity and citizenship, falsely claiming that he was a U.S. citizen to obtain immigration benefits, U.S. citizenship, and a U.S. passport. On June 24, 2019, Gracia de Rodriguez pleaded guilty to passport fraud in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. In her criminal proceedings, Gracia de Rodriguez admitted that she procured her U.S. passport through fraudulent procurement of her naturalization. Specifically, she admitted that her spouse was a Mexican citizen, not a U.S. citizen, whom she married in Mexico. She further admitted that she and her spouse later illegally entered the United States, where her spouse proceeded to steal the identity of a U.S. citizen. She admitted that she knowingly and willfully married her spouse a second time in the United States under his stolen identity and then used her spouse's stolen identity to adjust her status to that of a lawful permanent resident and later to naturalize. (District of Arizona).
30. Jinchao Wei (China/Age 26): On Sept. 30, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Jinchao Wei because he conducted espionage on behalf of the Chinese government. Jinchao Wei, a native of China, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2021, just before his twenty-first birthday. But by February 2022, he had begun conspiring to sell military secrets to China. By concealing his crimes, he obtained U.S. citizenship just two months later in May 2022, through a law intended to expedite the naturalization of individuals serving honorably in the U.S. armed forces. After his espionage scheme was discovered, he was arrested and convicted in August 2025 of conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of technical data related to defense articles. He was sentenced to 200 months in prison and discharged from the Navy. The denaturalization complaint against Wei alleges that he illegally procured his naturalization, procured it through fraudulent concealment or material misrepresentations during his naturalization proceedings, and failed to serve honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces for five years before being separated under other-than-honorable conditions. (Southern District of California).
31. Jose Villarreal Ortiz (Mexico/Age 49): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Jose Villarreal Ortiz, a native of Mexico. Mr. Villarreal was admitted to permanent resident status as the child of a U.S. citizen based on a false claim that his aunt (a naturalized U.S. citizen) was his mother and that he had remained in Mexico until 1996, when in fact he had been in the United States illegally for nearly a decade. When it came time to naturalize, Mr. Villarreal falsely claimed that his parent was a U.S. citizen, that he had never lied to U.S. officials to gain admission or entry, and that he had never provided false or misleading information to government officials. As a result, Mr. Villarreal was naturalized. The United States is seeking to revoke Mr. Villarreal's citizenship because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, because he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and/or willful misrepresentations, and because his false testimony and misrepresentations meant that he lacked the good moral character necessary to naturalize. (Southern District of Florida).
32. Sorsamkhan Som (Cambodia/Age 67): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Southern District of Texas seeking the denaturalization of Sorsamkhan Som after he entered into a fraudulent marriage to obtain U.S. citizenship unlawfully. In 2009, Som sought naturalization based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen while still married to his first wife, a citizen of Cambodia. In fact, Som fabricated his divorce to gain admission to the United States. The complaint against Som alleges five counts that includes his unlawful adjustment as a permanent resident and false testimony at his naturalization interview that he was divorced and legally married to his second wife at the time of his admission into the United States. (Southern District of Texas).
33. Lazaro Trujillo Viton (Age 40/Cuba): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District of Columbia seeking the denaturalization of Lazaro Eduardo Trujillo Viton. Trujillo, a native of Cuba, concealed throughout the naturalization process that he was involved in a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and that he himself submitted fraudulent Medicare claims for reimbursement, for which he was convicted after naturalization. Because Trujillo committed these crimes prior to naturalization and continuing through naturalization and concealed his involvement therein, he obtained naturalization through a concealment or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, he provided false testimony disqualifying him from citizenship, and his crimes of moral turpitude and other unlawful acts meant that he lacked the good moral character necessary to naturalize. The United States is therefore seeking to revoke Trujillo's naturalized citizenship. (District of the District of Columbia).
34. Dexter Anson (Ghana/Age 72): On Oct. 1, the United States filed a complaint in the District of Connecticut seeking the denaturalization of Dexter Anson because he failed to disclose in his diversity visa application and subsequent naturalization proceedings that he applied for immigration benefits and was ordered deported under his prior identity. He is charged with illegal procurement of his naturalization, and procurement of naturalization by willfully misrepresenting or concealing material facts in his naturalization proceedings. Anson illegally procured naturalization because he was not lawfully admitted for permanent residence based on being ineligible for a diversity visa as he applied for immigration benefits by fraud and misrepresentation under George Opoku. He illegally procured naturalization because he could not have established the requisite good moral character to naturalize where, prior to naturalizing, he engaged in unlawful acts adversely reflecting on his moral character, including violating three federal statutes criminalizing providing false information to the Government. He also provided false testimony at his naturalization interview when he failed to disclose his prior deportation proceedings and deportation order under George Opoku. Anson also willfully misrepresented or concealed material facts, including the use of another name and a deportation order in that name, throughout the naturalization process. (District of Connecticut).
35. Andrew Coldicutt (Canada/Age 46): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the Southern District of California against Andrew Coldicutt, a native of Canada. Coldicutt received his naturalization based on his misrepresentations in his naturalization application and interviews that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested and that he had never provided false or misleading information to a U.S. government official. In fact, prior to his naturalization application, Coldicutt had engaged in stock fraud schemes, including a pump-and-dump scheme and a gypsy swap, that involved filing false securities registration forms and wire fraud and that resulted in an FBI investigation against him. After he obtained citizenship, a jury convicted Coldicutt of securities fraud in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 77q, 77x; making false securities registration statements in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 77g, 77x; and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 in the Southern District of California. Accordingly, the Department of Justice is pursuing revocation of Coldicutt's naturalization for both illegal procurement (failure to show good moral character due to unlawful acts and false testimony) and concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentations relating to that conduct. (Southern District of California).
36. Ping Li (China: Age 61): On Oct. 1, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Middle District of Florida seeking the denaturalization of Ping Li because he conspired to act as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 951(a). From at least as early as 2012, Mr. Li worked at the direction of officers of the Ministry of State Security ("MSS") of the People's Republic of China ("PRC") to obtain information of interest to the PRC government, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement, and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and to report that information to the MSS. Mr. Li also provided the MSS with sensitive information obtained from his employers, a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company. On August 19, 2024, Mr. Li plead guilty to acting as an agent of the PRC, without prior notification to the Attorney General. Mr. Li's conduct is prima facie evidence that he was not attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and was not well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States at the time of his naturalization. The United States therefore has filed a single-count complaint seeking to revoke his naturalized citizenship. (People's Republic of China).
37. Hernan Garcia Toledo (Mexico/Age 52): On Oct. 2, the Department of Justice filed a case in the Eastern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Hernan Garcia Toledo. Mr. Garcia is a native of Mexico who falsely represented throughout his naturalization proceedings that he had never been arrested nor convicted of any crimes. He failed to disclose on his naturalization application and during his naturalization interview that he had previously been arrested and convicted of two crimes: carrying a concealed weapon, CPC § 12025(a)(1), and carrying a loaded firearm, CPC § 12031(a)(1). After his naturalization interview but prior to naturalization, he was arrested and charged with two additional firearms-related offenses yet failed to disclose those arrests and pending charges during his oath of naturalization. After Mr. Garcia naturalized, he was convicted of a firearms offense. Accordingly, the Department of Justice is pursuing revocation of Mr. Garcia's naturalization for both illegal procurement (failure to show good moral character due to unlawful acts and false testimony) and concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentations relating to that conduct. (Eastern District of California).
38. Semiu Olaiye Ijelu (Nigeria/Age 58): On Oct. 2, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Northern District of Georgia seeking the denaturalization of Semiu Olaiye Ijelu, also known as Samiu O. Ijelu and Olaiya S. Ijely, because he committed immigration fraud in naturalization proceedings. Before he became a citizen, Ijelu sought immigration benefits under two separate identities and was ordered removed. Instead of departing the United States, he married a U.S. citizen, which he used to adjust status to permanent resident, and naturalized in 2009. During naturalization proceedings he did not disclose the other identities or the final removal order. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Ijelu's naturalization because he did not lawfully adjust status, did not have the required good moral character for naturalization, and procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (Northern District of Georgia).
39. Ramon Navarro (Philippines/Age 68): On Oct. 2, the Department of Justice of Justice filed a case in the Eastern District of California seeking the denaturalization of Ramon Navarro for entering into a fraudulent marriage to obtain citizenship. Navarro entered into a fraudulent marriage to gain lawful permanent resident status and then used that fraudulent status and lied to immigration officials to obtain citizenship. The complaint alleges four counts based on his fraudulent marriage and his various representations that adversely reflected his moral character. (Eastern District of California).
40. Assad Jhon Ramin (Afghanistan: Age 57 or 58): On Oct. 2 the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania seeking the denaturalization of Assad Jhon Ramim because Mr. Ramim perpetrated an identity fraud spanning almost thirty years. Mr. Ramim sought and obtained a series of immigration benefits, culminating in citizenship, claiming he was Ahmad Shah Kohistany. As part of his naturalization process, he changed his name from Ahmed Shah Kohistani to Assad Jhon Ramim. In fact, Assad Jhon Ramim was his real name all along, and it was never Ahmad Shah Kohistani. Mr. Ramim fraudulently stole the identity of another Afghan national without that individual's knowledge or consent. Mr. Ramim's actions and conduct statutorily barred him from becoming a U.S. citizen and render his naturalization illegally procured and procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. The United States therefore has filed a four-count complaint seeking to revoke his naturalized citizenship based on his fraud and misrepresentations. (Eastern District of Pennsylvania).

These complaints were filed in the Central District of California, District of Arizona, District of Colorado, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Maryland, Eastern District of California, Eastern District of New York, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Eastern District of Virginia, Middle District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of California, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Indiana, Southern District of Ohio, and Southern District of Texas.

The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.