USCIS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
02/24/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/24/2026 14:11
Salvadoran Child Molester in North Carolina Denaturalized and Ordered Deported
Salvadoran Child Molester in North Carolina Denaturalized and Ordered Deported
Release Date
02/24/2026
USCIS assisted with the investigation
RALEIGH, N.C. - A federal judge sentenced convicted child molester Isidro Arcenio Alvarado, 58, a native of El Salvador, to active prison time after he pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship. The judge also revoked his citizenship and ordered him removed from the United States.
Alvarado confessed to knowingly making materially false statements under oath and penalty of perjury on his naturalization application and during a naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He denied his criminal activity and lied to USCIS officials to gain immigration benefits. Alvarado naturalized on Oct. 12, 2022.
On April 25, 2023, police arrested Alvarado and charged him with committing multiple sex offenses against a child. On July 8, 2025, in the Wake County Superior Court of North Carolina, Alvarado pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent liberties with a child. The state judge sentenced him to a suspended prison term and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Alvarado admitted to having committed the crimes from Jan. 1, 2019, through April 10, 2021. In 2019, the victim was only 10 years old.
After Alvarado completes his sentence, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will deport him from the United States.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle announced Alvarado's sentencing. ICE officers investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. USCIS helped investigate this case and continues to support Operation False Haven. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick prosecuted the case.
To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.
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USCIS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published this content on February 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 24, 2026 at 20:12 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]