MIAMI (WSVN) – A former Cuban military pilot has been indicted in Miami on federal charges after prosecutors say he lied about his past to U.S. immigration officials in an effort to obtain permanent residency, federal officials said.
According to the Department of Justice, 64-year-old Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, of Cuba, is charged with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, as well as making false statements to a federal agency. If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
Prosecutors allege that on April 20, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez submitted an immigration form falsely claiming he had never served in a military or police unit, received weapons training, or participated in any armed group.
Investigators say he had in fact served in Cuba’s Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force from 1980 to 2009.
“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 Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who lies about their past to take advantage of America’s immigration system.”
The case was investigated by FBI Miami with assistance from the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
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