A Mexican citizen illegally residing in San Benito has been indicted on charges related to using someone else’s identity to pose as an American citizen.
Authorities have now taken Cristina Amezcua Valencia, 53, into custody.
She made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 9 a.m. April 4.
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on April 1.
The charges include one count of false statement in application of a U.S. passport, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false claim to citizenship.
The charges allege that on September 25, 2018, Amezcua applied for a U.S. passport, claiming the identity of another individual.
On May 18, 2023, she allegedly utilised the passport containing the individual’s name and date and place of birth so she could enter the U.S. from Mexico.Â
If convicted, Amezcua faces up to 10 years for the false statement in the application of a U.S. passport and up to three years for a false claim to U.S. citizenship.
She will also be ordered to serve a mandatory two years for identity theft, upon conviction, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
She could also be ordered to pay up to a $250,000 fine.Â
