Mexican woman denaturalized for alleged fraud in naturalization process
Jun 4, 2026
Country of origin: Mexico

Maria Lourdes Montoya, a 63-year-old Mexican national, is facing denaturalization after fraudulently obtaining permanent residence and citizenship. Montoya misrepresented her husband's identity in both her permanent residence and naturalization applications, claiming to be married to Gilberto Montoya, a U.S. citizen who had actually died decades earlier. In reality, Montoya was married to Ernesto Orozco-Viramontes, a Mexican national who assumed the identity of Gilberto Montoya. Montoya knowingly leveraged this deception to obtain immigration benefits. The Department of Justice filed a five-count complaint seeking to cancel her naturalized citizenship.
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