US Denaturalizes 2 People Who Gained Citizenship Hiding Criminal Activity

The Justice Department announced it secured revocation of U.S. citizenship for two naturalized citizens who concealed prior criminal conduct when applying for naturalization, framing the actions as part of an ongoing denaturalization effort to protect the integrity of citizenship. Federal courts in California and Florida entered judgments this month after the parties agreed to consent orders: the Northern District of California revoked Vivian Chike Obichere’s citizenship on Oct. 13, 2026, and the Southern District of Florida revoked Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres’s citizenship on Oct. 14, 2026.

Obichere, a Nigerian native, used a fraudulent alias and passport beginning in 1992, renewed that passport in 2002, became a lawful permanent resident in 2003, and then falsely denied use of the alias during a 2012 naturalization interview; she later pleaded guilty in 2015 to false statements and passport misuse. Acosta Torres, a Cuban native who naturalized in 2015, participated in a conspiracy to defraud a tribal casino, moving stolen proceeds to hide their origin and evade reporting; she was convicted in 2020, sentenced to six months, and ordered to pay nearly $150,000 restitution. Denaturalization complaints were filed against Obichere in July and Acosta Torres in June, followed by joint motions and the courts’ subsequent revocation judgments.