A Mexican woman residing illegally in San Benito has been charged with impersonating an American citizen, as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Cristina Amezcua Valencia, 53, is now in custody and is scheduled for her initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 9 a.m. on April 4.
Valencia faces a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on April 1. The charges include making a false statement in a U.S. passport application, aggravated identity theft, and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.
According to the charges, on September 25, 2018, Amezcua applied for a U.S. passport using someone else's identity. On May 18, 2023, she allegedly used the passport to enter the U.S. from Mexico, bearing another person's name, date, and place of birth.
If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison for the false statement charge and up to three years for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship. Additionally, a mandatory two-year sentence for identity theft is required, to be served consecutively with any other sentences. She may also face up to a $250,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarina S. DiPiazza and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Delcolle.
It is noted that an indictment is a formal accusation and not evidence of guilt. A defendant remains innocent until proven guilty through due process.