Cuba-born woman loses U.S. citizenship over multimillion-dollar Miami casino fraud

A Cuba-born woman who became a U.S. citizen more than a decade ago has lost her citizenship after federal authorities established that she concealed her involvement in a money-laundering conspiracy connected to the theft of millions of dollars from a Florida tribal casino.

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U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga revoked the naturalization of Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres in a consent judgment entered Oct. 14 in Miami federal court, finding that she had obtained citizenship by concealing a material fact and making a willful misrepresentation.

Acosta Torres became a naturalized American citizen on Nov. 6, 2015. But before taking the oath, she had participated in a conspiracy involving money stolen from a casino through fraudulent credit vouchers, according to the Justice Department.

Her husband and several accomplices stole $5.3 million from the Miccosukee Casino & Resort in western Miami-Dade by creating false credit vouchers. Acosta Torres subsequently conducted financial transactions involving the stolen proceeds to disguise their fraudulent origin and avoid reporting requirements imposed by federal and state laws, authorities said.

When she applied for citizenship and underwent her naturalization interview in 2015, Acosta Torres falsely answered that she had never committed a crime or offense for which she had not been arrested, according to the Justice Department.

The deception ultimately became the basis for a federal civil lawsuit seeking to strip her of citizenship.

Acosta Torres was convicted in 2020 in the Southern District of Florida of conspiracy to commit money laundering. She received a six-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay nearly $150,000 in restitution.

The Justice Department filed a civil denaturalization complaint against her on June 8, 2026, saying she had illegally obtained citizenship by concealing her involvement in the criminal conspiracy.

The case culminated in an agreement between federal prosecutors and Acosta Torres to revoke her naturalization rather than proceed with contested litigation.

Citizenship revoked retroactively

The October judgment goes beyond simply declaring that Acosta Torres is no longer an American citizen.

Altonaga ordered that her naturalization be revoked retroactively to Nov. 6, 2015, the original date she became a citizen. The judge also canceled her certificate of naturalization, effective as of that same date.

The ruling prohibits Acosta Torres from claiming any rights, privileges or benefits under documents establishing the U.S. citizenship she obtained in 2015.

She was given 10 days to surrender her certificate of naturalization, along with any copies in her possession, to government attorneys. She was also ordered to turn over any U.S. passports, passport cards, enhanced driver’s licenses or other documents evidencing citizenship, whether valid or expired.

The judgment requires Acosta Torres to make good-faith efforts to recover and surrender copies of those documents that might be held by other individuals.

The judge also directed both parties, including Acosta Torres personally, to appear at a compliance hearing to demonstrate that the requirements had been satisfied. The hearing can be canceled if the government notifies the court that she has fully complied.

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The judgment does not order her deportation or establish what immigration status she may hold following the revocation of her citizenship.

A negotiated resolution

Court records show that the denaturalization case was resolved through negotiations rather than a trial.

On Aug. 10, attorneys for the government and Acosta Torres jointly requested a pause in discovery proceedings, informing the court that they had engaged in constructive discussions toward a settlement that could resolve the lawsuit without further litigation.

The following day, Altonaga closed the case while allowing the parties time to finalize an agreement. The order permitted either side to request reopening if negotiations failed.

Two months later, on Oct. 13, both sides filed a joint motion requesting entry of a consent judgment revoking Acosta Torres’ naturalization.

The court granted that request, entering judgment for the United States on Count III of the government’s complaint and dismissing the remaining counts as moot.

The judge specifically found that Acosta Torres had procured citizenship through concealment of a material fact and willful misrepresentation.

The original denaturalization complaint was not accessible through the federal court’s public electronic records system when the Miami Herald attempted to retrieve it. The available court documents therefore do not establish the full allegations contained in the government’s other counts.

Criminal conduct before citizenship

The case illustrates how criminal conduct committed before naturalization can have consequences years after an immigrant becomes an American citizen.

Under federal law, citizenship obtained through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation can be revoked through civil denaturalization proceedings. The central question is not simply whether a naturalized citizen later committed a crime, but whether the person was legally entitled to citizenship when it was granted.

In Acosta Torres’ case, the government’s position was that she had already participated in a criminal conspiracy when she denied having committed any undisclosed offenses during the naturalization process.

Her subsequent money-laundering conviction provided the basis for challenging the truthfulness of those earlier statements.

The Justice Department’s account does not specify how much money Acosta Torres personally handled in the conspiracy. It also does not establish whether she has completed payment of the restitution imposed in her criminal case.

The October judgment, however, establishes the outcome of the citizenship proceedings: Acosta Torres’ naturalization has been revoked, and she is legally barred from relying on the citizenship documents issued to her in 2015.

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This story was originally published October 22, 2026 at 8:50 AM.