Former Cuban air force pilot charged with US immigration fraud, prosecutors say

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A Cuban man is facing immigration fraud charges in Florida, where prosecutors have accused him of hiding prior military service in the Cuban air force.

A federal grand jury indicted Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, 64, who was arrested Friday on charges of fraud and misuse of visa, permits and other documents and making a false statement to a federal agency, according to court records. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

The arrest comes amid a nationwide immigration crackdown that began with President Donald Trump's return to office earlier this year.

“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,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “This Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who lies about their past to take advantage of America’s immigration system.”

According to the indictment, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez served in the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force from 1980 to 2009. But in an April application submitted to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, he falsely stated 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, prosecutors said.

A federal public defender assigned to Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez's case didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.