Federal judge denaturalizes Mexican national who lied on his application

Longtime El Paso man, who unlawfully procured U.S. citizenship, pending removal proceedings

EL PASO, Texas - A longtime El Paso resident lost his U.S. citizenship on Thursday, and was placed into deportation proceedings, after an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents revealed he provided false information on his naturalization application.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) worked with ICE in the case against Hector Venancio Castro-Vasquez, who was convicted in federal court of naturalization fraud, or unlawfully procuring U.S. citizenship, in October 2006.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone judicially denaturalized the 44-year-old Mexican native, and sentenced him to time served. ICE special agents arrested him in April 2006. Castro-Vasquez became a permanent resident in 1993, and a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2003. He is now pending deportation proceedings.