A Cuban national and former military pilot, Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, has been indicted in Jacksonville, Florida, on charges of immigration fraud. The indictment was unsealed by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida and Jason A. Reding Quiñones. Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, 64, is accused of fraud and misuse of visas and other documents, as well as making false statements to a federal agency. If found guilty on all counts, he could face up to 15 years in federal prison.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented on the case: “This man’s past as a longtime military pilot for the evil Castro regime — which has wrought untold suffering on the Cuban people — should have been front and center in his immigration file,” she said. “This Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who lies about their past to take advantage of America’s immigration system.”
According to court documents, on or around April 20, 2025, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez submitted an application (Form I-485) to adjust his immigration status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that contained false information. The indictment alleges he denied ever receiving weapons or military training or serving in any armed group or military unit when he had served from 1980 to 2009 in the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force. The filing also included a photograph showing him in uniform with the Air Defense Force.
The investigation into Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez involves multiple agencies including FBI Miami, FBI Jacksonville Field Office, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service Miami Field Office. Prosecutors from both the Middle District of Florida and Southern District of Florida are handling the case.
Officials remind that an indictment is a formal charge only; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
