United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the filing of a criminal complaint against Jhuliana Ceclilia Noriega Ron, a 36-year-old Venezuelan woman, charging her with possessing a fake United States Permanent Resident Card, often known as a Green Card. If convicted, Noriega Ron could face up to ten years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, on January 27, 2025, a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) police officer stopped Noriega Ron for swerving across multiple lanes of traffic at the Bay Pines VA Medical Center. Noriega Ron couldn’t provide her driver’s license when requested. Instead, she provided her Venezuelan passport and agreed to a vehicle search. Officers found two bogus Green Cards and two false Social Security cards in the center console. One of the bogus Green Cards and one of the false Social Security cards belonged to Noriega Ron. In addition, the US Border Patrol alerted VA police that Noriega Ron had entered the country illegally, passing through Texas at Eagle Pass in September 2023.
A criminal complaint is a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal laws. Until proven guilty in a court of law, all defendants remain innocent.
The situation is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Veterans Affairs Police, and the United States Border Patrol. Adam W. McCall, an Assistant United States Attorney, will be prosecuting the case.
