Mexican National Sentenced To Prison For Passport Fraud

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Merryday has sentenced Juan Arturo Martinez (62, Mexico) to four months in federal prison for one count of use of a passport secured by false statement and one count of making a false statement in a passport application. Martinez pled guilty on February 18, 2025.

According to court documents, on March 1, 2002, Martinez—who was born in Mexico and was unlawfully present in the United States—submitted a United States Passport Application Form DS-11 in Sarasota, Florida. In support of that application, Martinez provided a fraudulent Texas birth certificate. On March 22, 2002, based on his fraudulent representation that he was a U.S. citizen, a United States Passport was issued to Martinez.

On February 21, 2012, Martinez mailed in a United States Passport Renewal Application Form DS-82, along with his expired passport issued in 2002. On the application, Martinez falsely stated that his place of birth was “Mission, TX.” On March 12, 2012, a United States Passport was issued to Martinez. On February 7, 2013, Martinez presented this passport as proof of identity to obtain a Florida drivers license. Martinez used the fraudulently issued passport multiple times for travel purposes. Most recently, on September 11, 2021, Martinez used the passport to take a cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida. On April 7, 2022, Martinez submitted a United States Passport Renewal Application Form DS-82 and, again falsely stated that his place of birth was “Mission, TX.”

The evidence presented further established that Martinez impersonated a United States citizen for the purpose of obtaining other benefits and exercising other rights. For example, Martinez illegally registered to vote, and repeatedly voted in U.S. presidential elections, despite being unlawfully present in the United States and having no right to vote.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.