Maria Victoria Borja-Avila, Passport Fraud, Florida 2023

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - A Mexican woman has been found guilty of attempting to deceive her way into the United States.

Maria Victoria Borja-Avila, 47, presented false information in a U.S. Passport Application to the Santa Rosa County Clerk’s Office on August 14, 2023. She pretended to be an actual U.S. citizen, using a fraudulent birth certificate, a fake Florida driver’s license, and personally identifiable information belonging to another individual.

The defendant faces a mandatory two years’ incarceration on her Aggravated Identity charge, concurrent with any other charge. She may also face up to ten years’ imprisonment based on her Passport Fraud charge.

Borja-Avila’s imprisonment could be followed by up to a 3-year term of supervised release. During this timeframe, she will be subject to deportation proceedings after serving her federal prison term.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, with Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan handling the prosecution.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2025, at 1:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District T. Kent Wetherell.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels, and protecting communities from violent crime.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/mexican-woman-pleads-guilty-fraud-offenses