WILLIAMS, AZ — A 60-year-old Mexican national, Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vazquez, has been charged with passport and visa fraud after allegedly using the identity of a deceased child to reside in the United States for more than three decades. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced the charges on Thursday.
According to court documents, Diaz Vazquez, born in Guadalajara, Mexico, first assumed the identity of Gene Edward Katzorke, a child who died in 1966 at the age of two. He applied for a U.S. passport in 1986 using the name of Katzorke and forged documentation including an Arizona driver’s license and a U.S. birth certificate.
Over the years, Diaz Vazquez successfully renewed his passport multiple times, maintaining his false identity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The fraudulent renewal process was flagged in 2022 when authorities discovered an obituary for Katzorke, raising questions about the validity of the identity.
An investigation by the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) eventually linked the name Katzorke in criminal databases to Diaz Vazquez. The investigation revealed that Diaz Vazquez, under the false identity, had managed to live in the United States for decades and even joined the U.S. military. It was during a scheduled passport appointment in March 2025 that Diaz Vazquez was arrested after confessing his true identity to authorities.
Further investigation revealed that Diaz Vazquez had selected the name Katzorke after visiting a cemetery, and over time, maintained the fraudulent identity by renewing documents and lying about his past. His deception allowed him to successfully evade detection by authorities, despite his involvement in a tragic incident years earlier in Tucson. Diaz Vazquez fled to Mexico after being charged in the death of a nine-month-old infant.
Despite being a foreign national, Diaz Vazquez was deported back to the U.S. under the mistaken belief that he was a U.S. citizen and continued to live under the false identity for many years without suspicion.
Diaz Vazquez is now facing charges for passport and visa fraud, which carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Authorities urged the public to remain vigilant against identity fraud and stressed the importance of law enforcement coordination in uncovering such long-running fraudulent schemes.
This case is still under investigation, and additional charges could be brought as the situation develops.
