US Releases Full Names of 40 People Set to Lose Their American Citizenship, 2 Nigerians Included
- The US Department of Justice filed denaturalisation cases against 40 people from more than 20 countries between August and October 2026
- Two Nigerian nationals are among those facing the revocation of their American citizenship over immigration fraud
- According to the press release, their crimes range from child sexual abuse and espionage to marriage fraud, tax evasion, and identity theft
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The United States Department of Justice announced on Monday, October 5, 2026, that it has moved to strip 40 people of their American citizenship in what it described as the largest single set of denaturalisation actions it has ever filed in one period.
The full announcement confirmed that cases were filed in federal courts across the country, with individuals from more than 20 nations named.
Source: Getty Images
Two Nigerians appear on the list.
Full list of 40 people facing loss of US citizenship
Below are all 40 individuals named by the Justice Department, their nationalities, ages, and the offences cited:
1. Yusmary Shirley Duran Mejia — Colombia, 47. Naturalised: 2018. Case: DOJ alleges she concealed her involvement in a money-laundering conspiracy during naturalisation. She was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering in 2020.
2. Iain Lumsden — United Kingdom, 50. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: Convicted of transporting child sexual abuse material and sentenced to 108 months in prison. DOJ says he concealed his conduct during naturalisation.
3. Gume Roberto Garza — Mexico, 59. Naturalised: Applied in 2010; exact naturalisation date not stated. Case: Used another person's identity, including their Social Security number and date of birth, and concealed his identity and criminal history during naturalisation.
4. Ramiro Escot Esparza — México, 60. Naturalised: 2009. Case: DOJ says he concealed multiple acts of sexual misconduct against a minor. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a minor shortly after obtaining citizenship.
5. Javier Marrero-Pando — Cuba, 60, Naturalised: The DOJ says he had his naturalisation interview in October 2020; the exact date of citizenship grant is not stated. Case: Pleaded guilty to aggravated s0domy involving a special-needs man and was sentenced to life imprisonment, with all but 15 years suspended.
6. Ahmad Bahar Khattak — Pakistan, 69. Naturalised: March 20, 2008. Case: DOJ alleges he used dual identities for decades to evade deportation and obtain immigration benefits, concealing a previous exclusion order.
7. Ahmed Khan — Pakistan, 73. Naturalised: 2008. Case: Obtained a bogus death certificate for his living Pakistani wife, married a US citizen and used the marriage to obtain permanent residence and citizenship.
8. Balwinder Singh — India, 55. Naturalised: 2009. Case: Used different identities to obtain immigration benefits and permanent residence before naturalising under a second identity.
9. Jose Ramiro Montiel Carrasco — Mexico, 57. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ says he sexually abused a minor and committed incestuous act before naturalisation but concealed the conduct. He was later convicted of sexual battery and incestuous act.
10. Arnel Dacumos Tabafunda — Philippines, 47. Naturalised: September 2005. Case: DOJ says he sexually abused a child under 13 and concealed the conduct during naturalisation. He was later convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison.
11. Syed Mashood Ul Haque — Pakistan, 66; naturalised: Not stated. Case: Used two identities, overstayed a tourist visa, evaded deportation and later concealed his immigration history while obtaining citizenship.
12. Douglas Chukwuka Eze — Citizenship unknown, adult; age unknown. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: Used the stolen identity and birth certificate of another person to obtain immigration benefits. In 2023, he was convicted of two counts of false swearing in an immigration matter.
13. Gilberto Barraza — México, 58. Naturalised: 2008. Case: Falsely claimed to have been born in the US, used a forged birth certificate and later concealed his passport fraud during the naturalisation process.
14. Ifeolu Samuel Akingbemisilu — Sierra Leone, 58. Naturalised: 2008. Case: Had previously been ordered removed under another identity, re-entered using a fraudulent British passport and later concealed the identities and immigration history during naturalisation.
15. Norma Patricia Esparza — Mexico, 52. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ alleges she committed voluntary m@nslaughter before naturalisation and failed to disclose it. She was later convicted and sentenced to six years in prison.
16. Johyce Martinez — Venezuela, 52. Naturalised: 2013. Case: Entered the US using a fraudulent Cuban birth registration and obtained permanent residence under the Cuban Adjustment Act before naturalising under the false identity.
17. Varis Jan Safi — Afghanistan, 55. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: Entered using a forged Pakistani passport, was ordered excluded, then created another identity, married a US citizen and concealed his multiple identities during naturalisation.
18. Walid Abdelnabbi Hassan Osman — Egypt, 62. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ alleges he committed visa fraud by obtaining an H-1B position that provided no meaningful employment, while actually working as a taxi driver, and later concealed the fraud.
19. Nadia Hassan Mohamed Ali — Egypt, 58. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: Filed fraudulent H-1B petitions for a family member through a company that did not conduct meaningful business, then allegedly concealed the fraud during her citizenship process.
20. Beatrice Chioma Nwaoha Ashamole — Nigeria, 54. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ alleges she concealed prior aliases, arrests, immigration applications, exclusions and deportations during her naturalisation proceedings.
21. Anita Moanjeh Atem — Cameroon, 48. Naturalised: 2009. Case: DOJ says she concealed the sexual abuse of a minor that occurred between 2004 and 2007. She was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor.
22. Dibya Bhattarai — Nepal, 40. Naturalised: September 2008. Case: Misrepresented her criminal history during naturalisation. She later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud involving immigration documents.
23. Syed Furqan Ali — Pakistan, 74, Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ alleges he fabricated his first wife's divorce and death to marry a US citizen and obtain immigration benefits and citizenship.
24. Raul Cisneros — México, 76. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ says he committed lewd and lascivious acts against a minor before naturalisation and falsely claimed he had never committed an undisclosed crime. He was later convicted and sentenced to six years.
25. Juan Jose Egusquiza-Vázquez — Perú, 36. Naturalised: May 2011. Case: Concealed a sexual-battery offence involving a minor that occurred before his naturalisation application. He later pleaded guilty and received a three-year sentence.
26. Arnouse Merlien — Haiti, 48. Naturalised: 2016. Case: Participated in a conspiracy to defraud the US government by submitting fraudulent tax-refund claims. She was convicted in 2018.
27. Francis Darko Asamoah — Ghana, 56. Naturalised: 2013. Case: Told immigration officials he had no children, allegedly to prevent scrutiny of his marriage to a US citizen. Records later showed he had a child with another woman.
28. Ralph Nabavi — Iran, 69. Naturalised: 2014. Case: DOJ alleges he evaded federal income taxes, underreporting at least $12.5 million in income and underpaying about $3.5 million in taxes.
29. Consuela Gracia de Rodriguez — Mexico, 52, Naturalised: Not stated. Case: Lied about her husband's identity and citizenship, used his stolen identity for immigration benefits and later pleaded guilty to passport fraud.
30. Jinchao Wei — China, 26, Naturalised: May 2022. Case: DOJ says he conspired to provide US military secrets to China while serving in the Navy. He was convicted of espionage-related offences in 2025 and sentenced to 200 months in prison.
31. Jose Villarreal Ortiz — Mexico, 49. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: Allegedly falsely claimed that his aunt was his mother to obtain permanent residence and later concealed his immigration history and false claims during naturalisation.
32. Sorsamkhan Som — Cambodia, 67. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ alleges he fabricated his divorce from his first wife so he could marry a US citizen and use the marriage to obtain immigration benefits and citizenship.
33. Lazaro Eduardo Trujillo Viton — Cuba, 40 Naturalised: Not stated. Case: Concealed his involvement in a healthcare-fraud conspiracy and fraudulent Medicare claims during the naturalisation process.
34. Dexter Anson — Ghana, 72. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ alleges he concealed a previous immigration-benefit application and deportation order under another identity and made false statements during naturalisation.
35. Andrew Coldicutt — Canada, 46. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ says he concealed stock-fraud schemes, including a pump-and-dump operation, and later was convicted of securities fraud, false securities-registration statements and wire fraud.
36. Ping Li — China, 61 Naturalised: Not stated. Case: Pleaded guilty in 2024 to acting as an undeclared agent of China's government. DOJ says he gathered information on Chinese dissidents, pro-democracy activists and organisations in the US.
37. Hernan Garcia Toledo — Mexico, 52. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: Failed to disclose previous arrests and convictions involving concealed and loaded firearms, as well as additional firearms-related arrests before naturalisation.
38. Semiu Olaiye Ijelu — Nigeria, 58 Naturalised: 2009. Case: Used two identities to seek immigration benefits, was ordered removed, then married a US citizen and used the marriage to obtain permanent residence and citizenship while concealing his previous identities and removal order.
39. Ramon Navarro — Philippines, 68. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ alleges he entered a fraudulent marriage to obtain permanent residence and then used that status and false statements to obtain citizenship.
40. Assad Jhon Ramin — Afghanistan, 57 or 58. Naturalised: Not stated. Case: DOJ alleges he stole another Afghan national's identity and used the false identity, Ahmad Shah Kohistani, to obtain immigration benefits culminating in US citizenship.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the US had published two categories of people who can apply for citizenship without paying a fee.
Residency duration for US citizenship
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the US had explained how long foreigners must live inthe country before seeking citizenship.
According to USCIS, naturalisation is the formal legal process through which a foreign-born individual voluntarily becomes a US citizen.
The most commonly used route involves first becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), widely known as a green card holder.
Source: Legit.ng
