A shocking case of cross-border identity theft and immigration fraud has come to light in California, with a couple accused of stealing the identity of one of their family members to commit a string of federal crimes.
Luis Enrique Villegas Brownell, a 20-year-old Mexican citizen, and his girlfriend Kassandra Sanchez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, were charged in federal court with stealing the identity of Sanchez’s brother, J.D.S.
According to the indictment, Villegas used the stolen identification documents to falsely pose as a U.S. citizen and apply for entry into the United States, while Sanchez used the documents to impersonate J.D.S. and cross the border unlawfully for over a year.
The duo allegedly crossed the border more than 50 times in the past 17 months, often with Sanchez driving to the port of entry and presenting the fraudulent ID to border officers. Port-of-entry video shows Sanchez lying to officers about Villegas’s birthplace and concealing his true identity.
The real J.D.S. reported to border officers in April 2025 that his sister, Sanchez, asked for his identity documents to smuggle her Mexican boyfriend into the United States, but he declined and she took them without his consent.
Villegas and Sanchez are also accused of using J.D.S.’s identity to commit other federal crimes, including smuggling an undocumented immigrant through the San Ysidro Port of Entry and fraudulently obtaining California public benefits such as Medi-Cal.
Sanchez allegedly committed the offenses while on supervised release for a prior federal conviction in the Southern District of California relating to an arrest for smuggling methamphetamine into the United States.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.
Defendant Information: Luis Enrique Villegas Brownell, age 20, Tijuana, Mexico; Kassandra Sanchez, age 23, San Diego, California
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy, Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371; Conspiracy, Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028(f); Unlawful Production of Identification Document, Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1028(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(ii), and 2; False Personation in Immigration Matter, Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1546(a) and 2; False Claim to U.S. Citizenship, Title 18, U.S.C., Section 911; Aggravated Identity Theft, Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028A(a)(1)
Investigating Agencies: Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Case Number: 25cr3286-BTM
Date: Not specified
Current Status: Charged
Mandatory Facts: Defendant’s full name, exact criminal charges, city and state, exact date, sentence or outcome, and dollar amounts where applicable
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Identity Theft|Immigration Fraud
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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