A Cuban national who became a U.S. citizen in 2015 has had her citizenship revoked after a federal court in Florida found that she had concealed her role in a money laundering scheme when she applied for naturalization.
The individual in question, Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres, had her citizenship revoked on October 14th by the Southern District of Florida Federal Court, as confirmed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in a statement released on Wednesday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida shared details of the case on Thursday via X, revealing that Acosta lied during her naturalization interview by denying any criminal activity for which she had not been arrested.
Unveiling the Conspiracy
Federal authorities disclosed that prior to her naturalization, Acosta had been involved in a conspiracy to defraud a Florida tribal casino through a scheme that extracted millions of dollars. According to the DOJ, her husband and several accomplices orchestrated a plan to steal money by creating fake credit vouchers.
Acosta later engaged in financial transactions aimed at concealing the fraudulent source of the funds and circumventing federal and state transaction reporting requirements.
Implications of False Statements
The issue with her citizenship arose from false statements made during her 2015 naturalization process. In both her application and interview, Acosta claimed she had never committed a crime or offense for which she had not been arrested.
However, the DOJ stated that this was untrue, as she had been part of a money laundering conspiracy. This concealment meant her eligibility for U.S. citizenship was not properly assessed.
In 2020, following a criminal trial, Acosta was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $150,000 in restitution by a federal court in southern Florida. Years after this conviction, federal authorities initiated proceedings to revoke her citizenship, which she had obtained before her criminal case was resolved.
The Judicial Outcome
The DOJ filed the denaturalization lawsuit on June 8, 2026. On October 13, both parties jointly requested the court to issue a consent judgment revoking her naturalization. The following day, the judge issued a ruling that annulled her U.S. citizenship.
This outcome transitioned from a government lawsuit to a definitive court decision. It represents more than just a request to strip her of citizenship; it is a court-ordered revocation.
The DOJ did not indicate in its statement whether Acosta had been re-arrested or deported to Cuba following the ruling. It's important to note that losing U.S. citizenship and potential deportation are separate processes. Revocation of naturalization can lead to further immigration actions but does not automatically result in expulsion from the country.
Broader Implications and Policies
This case was announced alongside that of Vivian Chike Obichere, a Nigerian native whose citizenship was also revoked for withholding information during her naturalization process. Both decisions were highlighted by the Trump administration as part of a broader strategy to intensify legal actions against individuals who obtained U.S. citizenship through false claims or by concealing criminal activities.
"Securing denaturalization is the final step in stripping citizenship from those who hide crimes or deceive the American people," stated Brett A. Shumate, Deputy Attorney General of the DOJ's Civil Division. He emphasized that the administration would continue its denaturalization campaign to safeguard the value of U.S. citizenship.
Federal law allows for the revocation of naturalization when a court determines it was obtained illegally, through the concealment of relevant information, or by making deliberately false statements. However, committing a crime post-naturalization does not automatically lead to loss of citizenship.
It's crucial in these proceedings to determine whether the individual was eligible at the time of naturalization and whether they withheld information that could have impacted that decision.
The Acosta case was publicly identified months earlier. On June 8, the DOJ announced actions to revoke citizenship from 17 naturalized individuals, including two Cuban women. Aside from Acosta, Leidys Delmas García was convicted for her role in a healthcare fraud scheme in Florida involving multiple physical therapy clinics and fraudulent claims amounting to millions.
In March of this year, another Florida federal court revoked the citizenship of Mirelys Cabrera Díaz, a Cuban resident in Hialeah convicted of a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud. Cabrera had obtained citizenship in 2017 despite previous criminal activities that, according to the court ruling, disqualified her from naturalization.
More recently, on October 5, the DOJ announced it had filed lawsuits to revoke the citizenship of 40 additional naturalized individuals, including two Cubans. These legal actions, filed between August 21 and October 2, involved Javier Marrero Pando and Lázaro Eduardo Trujillo Vitón, whose cases were linked to undisclosed crimes during their immigration processes.
FAQs on U.S. Citizenship Revocation
What led to Milagros Acosta's citizenship revocation?
Milagros Acosta's citizenship was revoked after it was discovered that she concealed her involvement in a money laundering conspiracy during her naturalization process.
Does losing U.S. citizenship automatically lead to deportation?
No, losing U.S. citizenship and deportation are separate processes. Revocation of naturalization can prompt further immigration actions but does not automatically result in deportation.
Why are citizenships being revoked under the Trump administration?
The Trump administration intensified efforts to revoke citizenships obtained through false claims or concealment of criminal activities to safeguard the integrity of U.S. citizenship.