An illegal alien living in Michigan who has been deported four times was sentenced to 8 months in prison for illegally selling false United States Social Security cards and Permanent Resident cards to illegal aliens.
Norma Ayala, 35, a citizen of Guatemala present in the U.S. illegally, was sentenced to 8 months in custody, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced.
In 2024, Homeland Security Investigations learned of a counterfeit identification document scheme operating in the Grand Rapids area. Their investigation determined that Ms. Ayala, together with codefendants Rigoberto Vasquez-Vasquez and Edgidio Vasques-Mencho, were advertising, manufacturing, and selling fraudulent Social Security and Permanent Resident cards to persons unlawfully in the United States.
The investigative team identified the defendants engaging in such activities on a number of occasions in 2024 and 2025. Ms. Ayala’s role in the conspiracy was to take orders, obtain biographical data and photographs to be used in the manufacture of the documents, pass the orders and materials to a co-conspirator, deliver the finished documents, and collect payments.
On September 23, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against the three conspirators.
U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “This case is an example of why the public has lost its tolerance for illegal immigration. Ms. Ayala has been removed from the United States four times, which shows her disregard for our laws. When she came back, for the fifth time, she celebrated her good fortune by starting a fraud ring to enrich herself and to allow others to evade our immigration laws. This conduct is unacceptable, and my office will aggressively prosecute it whenever it occurs.”
Each of the defendants later pleaded guilty to their role in the conspiracy. The co-conspirators are scheduled for sentencing at a later date.
Upon the completion of her sentence, Ayala will be deported a fifth time.
“The production and distribution of fraudulent identity documents undermine the security of our nation and enable further criminal activity,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “HSI special agents remain committed to investigating and dismantling document fraud schemes that threaten the integrity of our immigration system. We will continue to pursue those who manufacture and sell counterfeit documents and work with our partners to ensure they are brought to justice.”
The Grand Rapids office of Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Daniels prosecuted it.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Michigan Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.