SAN DIEGO – In a chilling case of cross-border chicanery, Luis Enrique Villegas Brownell and his girlfriend, Kassandra Sanchez, have been indicted in federal court for a brazen identity theft and immigration fraud scheme. According to the indictment, Villegas, a Mexican citizen without legal status in the United States, conspired with Sanchez, a U.S. citizen, to steal identification documents belonging to Sanchez’s brother, identified as J.D.S. Villegas then donned these stolen credentials to pose as a U.S. citizen and gain entry into the United States.
Once inside the country, Villegas exploited his newfound identity to obtain a state ID card from the California DMV, using false information under penalty of perjury. The fraudulent ID bore Villegas’s photo and thumbprint but was in J.D.S.’s name. Together with Sanchez, they engaged in illegal crossings of the border over 50 times in the past 17 months, often with Sanchez driving them to the port of entry while presenting the fraudulent ID to border officers.
Port-of-entry video reveals Sanchez lying about Villegas’s birthplace and concealing his true identity. Court documents show that J.D.S., the real victim, applied for entry at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in April 2025 but was thwarted by the theft of his identity. He reported to border officers that Sanchez had asked for his identity documents to smuggle Villegas into the United States.
The government also accuses Villegas 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 is alleged to have committed these offenses while on supervised release for a prior federal conviction involving methamphetamine smuggling.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan is prosecuting this case. Villegas, 20, from Tijuana, Mexico, and Sanchez, 23, from San Diego, California, face a litany of charges, including conspiracy, unlawful production of identification documents, false personation in immigration matters, false claim to U.S. citizenship, and aggravated identity theft.
DEFENDANTS
Case Number : 25cr3286-BTM
Luis Enrique Villegas Brownell Age: 20 Tijuana, Mexico
Kassandra Sanchez Age: 23 San Diego, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028(f)
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $250,000 fine
Unlawful Production of Identification Document – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1028(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(ii), and 2
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $250,000 fine
False Personation in Immigration Matter – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1546(a) and 2
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
False Claim to U.S. Citizenship – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 911
Maximum penalty: Three years in prison and $250,000 fine
Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028A(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory two years in prison, served consecutive to any other sentence
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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