Luis Mauafrewiny Aviles Matias, also known as Leiver Artur Ponce Leon and Juan Perez Chavez, has pleaded guilty to making a false claim of United States citizenship. U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. sentenced the 57-year-old Ecuadorian national to six months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who managed the case, detailed that on November 12, 2024, Matias attempted to enter the United States at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry using a fraudulent Puerto Rican driver’s license for identification. When questioned about his citizenship status, Matias nodded affirmatively to being a U.S. citizen, despite being an Ecuadorian national.
This legal action is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The operation coordinates resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.