Andrea C. Correa, a 37-year-old resident of Sunrise, Florida, has been arraigned on charges related to the submission of a fraudulent asylum application. The federal indictment accuses her of violating 18 U.S.C. §1546(a), which pertains to the presentation of immigration documents containing false statements.
The allegations presented during an earlier hearing suggest that Correa prepared and sent an asylum application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with several false claims of personal political persecution. This was done despite being informed by the applicant that no such persecution had occurred in their home country. Since 2013, Correa has reportedly prepared over 1,000 asylum applications.
If found guilty, Correa could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing would be determined by the court following the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of HSI Miami, and Miami Asylum Office Director Varsenik Papazian for USCIS.
The investigation was conducted by HSI West Palm Beach and USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) Miami Asylum Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Sadlo is prosecuting the case.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Further information about this case can be accessed through the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida's website or via related court documents on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida's website under case number 25-cr-60010.