Cuban nationals face convictions for citizenship and smuggling fraud

Two separate federal cases involving Cuban nationals in Florida have resulted in guilty pleas or convictions related to fraud and smuggling.

Tania Rosa Rodríguez, 57, was found guilty by a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida for illegally obtaining U.S. citizenship. Prosecutors proved that Rodríguez concealed her involvement in a multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud conspiracy during her 2017 naturalization application. The conspiracy, which spanned seven years, involved approximately $4.6 million in fraudulent claims. Rodríguez faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Separately, Yuniel Lima-Santos, 31, pleaded guilty to alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering. Lima-Santos operated an organization that used social media to solicit Cuban nationals to enter the United States illegally. The scheme involved using fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications and false claims of European citizenship to bypass immigration restrictions. The operation also included moving individuals into the U.S. and using shell companies to launder money.