Former Cuban Air Force pilot charged in Florida for allegedly lying on green card form, DOJ says
A man was federally indicted in Florida on immigration fraud charges for allegedly providing false statements about his service with the Cuban military while he was applying for a green card, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.
United States Attorneys Gregory W. Kehoe and Jason A. Reding Quiñones announced the unsealing of the indictment charging Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, 64, of Cuba, with fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents, and making a false statement to a federal agency.
If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 15 years in federal prison, the DOJ said.
"This man's past as a longtime military pilot for the evil Castro regime - which has wrought untold suffering on the Cuban people - should have been front and center in his immigration file," said Attorney General Pam Bondi. "This Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who lies about their past to take advantage of America's immigration system."
Man served with the Cuban Air Force during Castro's regime, DOJ says
Around April 20, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez presented a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, containing false statements to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with the Department of Homeland Security, authorities said.
According to the DOJ, these statements pertained to his prior membership with the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force from 1980 to 2009. During this time, Fidel Castro led the Cuban government until 2008, when he handed over to his brother Raúl Castro.
According to the indictment, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez "falsely stated he had never received weapons or military training, never participated in any group of any kind that used weapons or threatened to use weapons, and never served in the Cuban military as part of the Air Defense Force."
Additionally, the DOJ provided a photograph that allegedly depicted Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez during his time with the Cuban Air Force. In the picture, two men in what appear to be Cuban military uniforms are seen standing in front of a fighter jet and examining a document together; however, the agency did not provide a current picture of Gonzalez-Padro Rodriguez or indicate which individual he was in the provided photo.
"An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until proven guilty," the DOJ said.
The case is still under investigation by the FBI Miami Office, with assistance from the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, USCIS, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service's Miami Field Office. The Middle and Southern Districts of Florida are partners in the investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly S. Milliron from the Middle District of Florida and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbie D. Waxman from the Southern District of Florida.