Vladimir Kuznetsov, tráfico de armas, Alabama 2019

MOBILE, ALABAMA – In a major blow to the nation’s underworld, the Department of Justice has secured the denaturalization of a convicted gun trafficker and health care fraudster, and filed a complaint against a marriage scammer. The defendants, 34-year-old Vladimir Kuznetsov of Mobile, Alabama and 47-year-old Elena Vasquez of Montgomery, Alabama, used their fraudulent naturalization to fuel their illicit activities.

Kuznetsov, a former resident of Mobile, Alabama, was ordered to be denaturalized after the Department of Justice proved that he obtained U.S. citizenship through false claims of citizenship. Kuznetsov’s conviction on gun trafficking charges came in 2019, where he was found to have sold over $200,000 worth of firearms to straw buyers. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. This denaturalization order marks a major victory in the fight against gun trafficking and immigration fraud.

Vasquez, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, was also found to have obtained U.S. citizenship through marriage fraud. In 2018, the Department of Justice discovered that Vasquez had married a U.S. citizen with the intention of obtaining a green card, only to divorce him shortly after. This complaint seeks to revoke Vasquez’s citizenship and strip her of her naturalized status.

According to the Department of Justice, the denaturalization of Kuznetsov and Vasquez is a critical step in holding accountable those who seek to exploit our immigration system for personal gain. ‘These individuals thought they could hide behind a badge of citizenship, but the Department of Justice is committed to rooting out those who seek to use our system for nefarious purposes,’ said a DOJ spokesperson.

The Department of Justice’s efforts to combat gun trafficking and marriage fraud are ongoing. If convicted, Vasquez faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of marriage fraud. The Department of Justice urges anyone with information about potential immigration or citizenship scams to come forward.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama is handling the case. The Department of Justice praises the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners, who worked tirelessly to bring these individuals to justice. This case serves as a reminder that the Department of Justice will not tolerate those who seek to exploit our system for personal gain.