The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that 11 illegal aliens have been indicted in Massachusetts for their alleged roles in a benefit fraud scheme totaling over $1.4 million. The indictments, announced by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on June 18, 2026, followed an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The scheme involved 15 suspects in total, including four U.S. citizens, and targeted various public benefits such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, MassHealth benefits, and disability and unemployment benefits. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, "These criminal illegal aliens conspired to defraud Massachusetts taxpayers of more than $1.4 million in public benefits, depriving American citizens of benefits that they needed." He added that after facing justice, they "will be swiftly removed from our country."
Jeffrey Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI New England, stated that this "short surge operation" uncovered over $1 million in fraud, emphasizing that HSI is "redoubling our efforts to root out fraud and bring these criminals to justice." Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald for the National Fraud Enforcement Division highlighted the "broader, deeply troubling pattern: the exploitation of America’s safety-net by illegal aliens."
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley announced that this is "just the beginning of what will be a sustained and ongoing effort to arrest and charged individuals for benefit fraud in Massachusetts." Foley noted that the defendants allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars each from programs designed to assist U.S. citizens.
Among those indicted are Santo Escolastico Cuello, charged with $162,180 in MassHealth fraud, and Mario Baez Romero, facing charges for $26,942 in SNAP fraud and $48,785 in MassHealth fraud. Other individuals from the Dominican Republic and India were also charged with various benefit and visa fraud offenses. The investigation was led by HSI’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, in collaboration with multiple state and federal partners.