The U.S. revokes citizenship from Cuban woman convicted of million-dollar Medicare fraud

The U.S. Department of Justice reported this Thursday the revocation of U.S. citizenship for a Cuban woman convicted of a multi-million dollar fraud scheme against the Medicare program, as part of the tightening of policies against fraudulent naturalization.

According to the official statement, Mirelys Cabrera Díaz, a resident of Hialeah, Florida, lost the citizenship she had acquired in 2017 after it was determined that she did not meet the legal requirements at the time of her naturalization, due to her involvement in prior criminal activities.

A federal court in the Southern District of Florida issued the order on March 24, concluding that the woman had engaged in a conspiracy to commit fraud in the healthcare system before becoming a U.S. citizen, which automatically disqualified her from obtaining that status.

Cabrera Díaz was sentenced in 2019 for her involvement in a scheme that defrauded the Medicare program of more than six million dollars. According to authorities, between 2011 and 2014, she participated in a network that paid bribes to patient recruiters to generate fraudulent medical prescriptions, which were then used to claim reimbursements from the federal system for medications that were never delivered.

As part of her sentence, she pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 29 months in prison, and was ordered to pay restitution of over six million dollars.

The court determined that, during the period prior to his citizenship application, Cabrera Díaz did not meet the requirement of "good moral character," a necessary condition in the five years preceding naturalization. Additionally, it found that there were no circumstances that justified his actions.

The case is part of a broader strategy of the U.S. government to intensify denaturalization processes in cases where fraud, misrepresentation, or serious crimes are proven during the immigration process.

In recent months, authorities have increased the review of cases and the number of litigation in federal courts, with particular focus on cases related to fraud against public programs such as Medicare or Medicaid.

Politics is part of the "zero tolerance" policy promoted by the current administration, which views citizenship as a status that can be revoked if it is proven to have been obtained unlawfully.

Although the government has broadened the scope of these actions, the denaturalization process remains a judicial one that requires the involvement of a federal court and can extend for years.

After the revocation of citizenship, those affected may face additional immigration processes, including the possibility of deportation, in separate proceedings.