NEWS & ALERTS
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14 Nov2025
MIAMI – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services played a pivotal role in the investigation leading to the unsealing of an indictment charging Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, 64, of Cuba with fraud and misuse of visa, permits, and other documents, and making a false statement to a federal agency. If convicted on all counts, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on or about April 20, 2025, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez presented or caused to be presented a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, containing false statements to USCIS. Specifically, the false statements pertained to his prior membership in the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force from 1980 to 2009.
The indictment alleges that Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez falsely stated in his Form I-485 application that he had never received any weapons or military training, never participated in any group of any kind that used weapons or threatened to use weapons, and never served in a military or police unit. In reality, he received such training and served in the Cuban military as part of the Air Defense Force. The indictment included a photograph depicting Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez in the Air Defense Force:
“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.”
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
FBI Miami is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, USCIS, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Miami Field Office. The Middle District of Florida and Southern District of Florida are partners in this investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly S. Milliron for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbie D. Waxman from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
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