WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil complaint to revoke the citizenship of Hector Daneri Regalado, who was convicted of sexually abusing a child during the period he was required to demonstrate good moral character for naturalization.
Regalado became a naturalized citizen in 2010. However, in 2012, he entered an Alford plea to two counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child in North Carolina. Prosecutors stated that Regalado abused the victim, who was between 12 and 14 years old, over a span of approximately two years beginning in 2007. The conduct occurred during the statutory period required to demonstrate moral character before gaining citizenship.
The civil complaint to revoke his citizenship was filed on Sept. 24, 2025. This is the tenth denaturalization action filed by the Justice Department since Jan. 20.
The case is part of Operation False Haven, a national initiative targeting individuals who illegally obtained U.S. citizenship. It is being handled by the DOJ’s Office of Immigration Litigation, with support from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
