Fake Divorce Papers Trigger Federal Citizenship Conviction

A federal jury has convicted a woman of naturalization fraud after prosecutors said she falsely claimed that her previous marriage had ended and submitted a fraudulent divorce decree while applying for U.S. citizenship.

Ana Zahia Gonzalez, 46, of Winter Garden, Florida, was found guilty of knowingly providing false information during the naturalization process, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

Federal prosecutors said Gonzalez entered the United States on a visitor visa in 2006 and remained in the country after her authorized stay expired.

In 2011, she married a U.S. citizen who was allegedly unaware that Gonzalez remained legally married to another non-U.S. citizen.

When Gonzalez applied for U.S. citizenship in 2016, she claimed that her previous marriage had been legally dissolved before she married her American husband.

Prosecutors said she supported the claim by submitting a fraudulent divorce decree.

Gonzalez was indicted on November 19, 2025, and was later convicted by a federal jury in Orlando. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and the possible revocation of her U.S. citizenship.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it also played a key role in the investigation.

In a statement announcing the conviction, USCIS said President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and the Department of Homeland Security would not tolerate fraud in the naturalization system. The agency described U.S. citizenship as a privilege reserved for applicants who follow the law.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bianca S. Bansal and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Flanigan.