Salvadoran Child Molester in North Carolina Denaturalized and Ordered Deported

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.