Authorities have launched serious charges against Isidro Arcenio Alvarado, a 57-year-old man from El Salvador, for naturalization and passport fraud. Alvarado stands accused of withholding his criminal record during his application for U.S. citizenship, specifically hiding the fact that he was previously convicted of sexually abusing a child.
The indictment, issued by a federal grand jury in August and revealed during Alvarado’s recent court appearance in Raleigh, North Carolina, lays bare a troubling series of events. Alvarado allegedly lied under oath to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), denying any past crimes to secure his citizenship. This dubious maneuver allowed him to obtain a naturalization certificate, which he later used to apply for a U.S. passport in March 2023.
North Carolina law enforcement made their move in April 2023 when they arrested Alvarado on multiple charges of child sexual abuse. Court records show that he had engaged in these heinous acts involving a 10-year-old child over a span from January 2019 to April 2021. Alarmingly, these offenses occurred before his citizenship was granted, yet law enforcement had not apprehended him at that time, allowing this predator to exploit weaknesses in the immigration vetting system.
On July 8, 2025, Alvarado pleaded guilty in Wake County Superior Court to two counts of indecent liberties with a child. The court handed him a suspended sentence of 32 to 58 months in prison and mandated registration as a sex offender. This conviction, alongside the false claims made during his naturalization process, set the stage for the federal charges he now faces.
Alvarado faces four federal counts, each potentially leading to a maximum of ten years in prison. If found guilty, he will not only serve time but also automatically lose his U.S. citizenship and the benefits that came with it. This case raises significant concerns regarding how naturalization fraud can allow dangerous individuals to gain access to protections that should not be afforded to them.
Federal officials underscored the importance of this prosecution by noting its connection to Operation False Haven. This initiative aims to identify child predators and serious offenders who have successfully lied their way into citizenship. Entities like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations are collaborating on this vital effort, demonstrating a collective commitment to rectifying the issues within immigration vetting procedures.
The allegations against Alvarado expose critical vulnerabilities in the immigration system. State-level criminal investigations sometimes lag, failing to catch red flags that should alert federal authorities during the naturalization process. In this instance, a man with a history of abuse successfully concealed his crimes, took advantage of oversight gaps, and obtained one of the highest privileges in the U.S.—citizenship. As legal proceedings unfold, it serves as a stern warning to others who might consider a similar course of deception.
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