Registered Sex Offender’s U.S. Citizenship Revoked After Fraudulent Naturalization

MIAMI – A Peruvian-born registered sex offender has had his U.S. citizenship revoked and his Certificate of Naturalization canceled after he obtained citizenship by fraud. U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith entered the order against Renzo William Alegre, 25, of Fort Lauderdale, and also sentenced him to 150 days of home detention and one year of probation after he pleaded guilty to unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization. “United States citizenship is a privilege, not a shield for deception,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant lied to obtain citizenship while actively engaging in crimes that exploit children. When citizenship is procured by fraud, the law requires that it be revoked. Our Office will act decisively to protect children and to preserve the integrity of our immigration and naturalization system.” According to court records, on March 16, 2019, Alegre applied for U.S. citizenship. The application asked: “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?” Alegre answered “no.” On Oct. 23, 2019, Alegre appeared for an immigration interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, where he again stated that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested. On Oct. 31, 2019, Alegre was granted U.S. citizenship. In September 2020, Alegre was arrested on child pornography charges. He was later convicted of possessing at least 600 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised released. In his factual proffer, Alegre admitted that he had been using a computer to receive and download CSAM for approximately one year prior to his arrest—a period that predated his naturalization.