A Philippine national has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Alaska on charges of aggravated identity theft and false impersonation of a U.S. citizen while aboard a cruise ship. The individual, Enrico Ronquillo, 37, is accused of using counterfeit documents to assume the identity of a U.S. citizen during his time on the vessel.
Court documents reveal that between May 11-14, 2025, Ronquillo allegedly used a fake California driver's license and birth certificate containing another person's information to enter the ship's manifest as a U.S. citizen. Additionally, he is charged with making and using a fraudulent IRS Form W-9 with the victim's personal details.
Ronquillo faces one count each for false impersonation of a U.S. citizen and making and using a false document, alongside two counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could receive a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for each identity theft charge and up to five years plus a $250,000 fine for the other offenses. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district judge based on guidelines and statutory factors.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska; Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office; and Kymberly Fernandez, Area Port Director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Anchorage.
The investigation involves multiple agencies including the FBI Anchorage Field Office’s Juneau Resident Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Alaska State Troopers, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations under ICE, TSA Office of Law Enforcement’s Federal Air Marshals Service, and FBI Los Angeles Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Reed is prosecuting this case as part of Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
The indictment serves merely as an allegation; Ronquillo remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
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