A Fort Lauderdale man’s U.S. citizenship has been revoked following a federal court ruling. Renzo William Alegre, originally from Peru, pleaded guilty to unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization. U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith ordered the cancellation of his Certificate of Naturalization.
According to the Department of Justice, Alegre answered no to a question on his citizenship application regarding prior criminal conduct. After his naturalization in October 2019, authorities discovered that he had been involved in child exploitation offenses that occurred before he became a U.S. citizen.
In September 2020, Alegre was arrested on child pornography charges. He was later sentenced to 48 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release after being found in possession of at least 600 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Court documents indicate that the illegal activity occurred for approximately one year prior to his arrest, before he obtained U.S. citizenship.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by legal authorities to maintain the integrity of the U.S. immigration and naturalization system. Officials have emphasized the importance of enforcing laws that protect children and ensure that citizenship is obtained lawfully.
The investigation, conducted by HSI Fort Lauderdale, resulted in Alegre serving 150 days of home detention followed by one year of probation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Latoya C. Brown. Additional information is available through the Southern District of Florida’s court records.
