Federal authorities in Phoenix have unveiled the case against Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vazquez, a 60-year-old Mexican national who resided in Arizona under the identity of a US citizen who had passed away in the 1960s.
Beginning in 1986, an individual using the name Gene Edward Katzorke applied for a U.S. passport, an identity that Diaz Vazquez purportedly adopted after finding a grave in a cemetery, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. For renewals, the man presented his previously attained passport and other personal documents, creating a convincing façade that lasted until a 2022 application raised red flags with authorities—a result of agents stumbling upon a decades-old obituary.
Investigators determined that the real Gene Edward Katzorke died in infancy in 1966. In a bizarre coincidence, it was during an appointment at the Western Passport Center on March 7, 2025, that authorities swooped in, arresting Diaz Vazquez after he confirmed his passport renewal application under the Katzorke identity. During his post-arrest interview, the defendant confessed to his actual identity and his birthplace in Mexico.
Upon unravelling his story, it emerged that Diaz Vazquez had previously joined the U.S. military under the pseudonym, only to flee to Mexico when he was implicated in a criminal case regarding the death of an infant. His subsequent deportation to the United States under the mistaken belief he was a U.S. citizen allowed him to continue his life masquerade until it was thwarted by diplomatic security agents, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case, which was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service Tucson Resident Office, alongside the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, now goes to trial, where Diaz Vazquez could face up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine if convicted.
