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Cuban faces citizenship revocation over alleged fraud in U.S.
🇦🇷 Argentina /Crime & Justice

Cuban faces citizenship revocation over alleged fraud in U.S.

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement In the courts
  • A naturalized Cuban citizen in the U.S., Yoskmaikel Rodríguez Pérez, faces the potential revocation of his citizenship due to healthcare fraud.
  • He is accused of submitting over $886,000 in false claims to Medicare while operating a clinic in Florida.
  • The Department of Justice has filed a denaturalization lawsuit, alleging he lacked the required good moral character and committed fraud and perjury.

Yoskmaikel Rodríguez Pérez, a Cuban who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018, is at risk of losing his citizenship over allegations of healthcare fraud. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Rodríguez Pérez, 45, who became a lawful permanent resident in 2004, operated a clinic in Florida submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare.

The DOJ informed that Rodríguez Pérez, 45, became a lawful permanent resident in 2004 and was naturalized as an American 14 years later. However, before obtaining citizenship, he operated a clinic through which he submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.

— DOJDescribing the alleged fraudulent activities of Yoskmaikel Rodríguez Pérez.

According to the DOJ, Rodríguez Pérez submitted false claims totaling over $886,694 to Medicare. The investigation revealed that he allegedly concealed his criminal conduct throughout his naturalization process and provided false testimony under oath to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials. Following the discovery of his operations, Rodríguez Pérez pleaded guilty and was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud.

On June 18, U.S. authorities filed a denaturalization lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida. The suit claims Rodríguez Pérez illegally obtained his citizenship because he lacked the requisite good moral character. The DOJ further accuses him of moral turpitude, unlawful acts, and perjury. If his citizenship is revoked, he could face deportation.

The DOJ accused him of moral turpitude, unlawful acts, and false testimony under oath.

— DOJDetailing the charges in the denaturalization lawsuit.

The DOJ highlighted this case as part of the Trump administration's efforts to pursue denaturalization cases. The department also noted that similar legal actions are underway against nine other individuals facing potential revocation of their U.S. citizenship. The Immigration and Nationality Act allows for the revocation of citizenship for naturalized individuals if it is found that it was obtained illegally or through intentional false statements concealing relevant facts.

The DOJ assured in the statement that the case is another example that the government of Donald Trump is promoting the greatest denaturalization advance in history.

— DOJFraming the case within the administration's broader denaturalization efforts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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