Man’s United States Citizenship Revoked for Naturalization Fraud

GULFPORT, MS  – A Mexican national was sentenced to three months in prison and had his U.S. Citizenship revoked for Naturalization Fraud.

According to court documents, Felix Aguilar-Matias, age 51, was convicted of Naturalization Fraud after pleading guilty on February 18, 2025.

In August 2014, Aguilar-Matias submitted an Application for Naturalization to U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) and, in March 2015, he was sworn in as a US citizen. However, in October 2019, he was arrested by the Bay St. Louis Police Department in Hancock, County.  He subsequently pleaded guilty and was convicted of two felony offenses and admitted that his criminal acts took place between August 2010 and December 2010. He was sentenced to 20 years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and currently is serving that state sentence. Agents determined that Aguilar-Matias knowingly and intentionally made fraudulent representations on his Application for Naturalization to conceal his felony conduct that occurred during a time period prior to his application for US citizenship.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Patrick A. Lemon and Brian Acuna, Acting Field Office Director of ICE/ERO in New Orleans, made the announcement. 

The U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Enforcement & Removal Operations investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case.

This case is an example of cases being prosecuted under “Operation Take Back America” (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline).  Operation Take Bake America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).