DOJ Files Denaturalization Case Against Former North Miami Mayor
Federal authorities have filed a civil complaint seeking to revoke the U.S. citizenship of former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime, accusing him of lying about his identity and immigration history to obtain naturalization.
In a 13-page complaint filed by the Department of Justice, prosecutors allege Bien-Aime “willfully misrepresented his identity and immigration history throughout the naturalization process,” according to court documents reviewed by NBC6.
The DOJ described the case as a rare denaturalization action. Prosecutors say Bien-Aime is the same individual who was previously ordered removed from the United States under a different name.
According to court records, Department of Homeland Security data, including fingerprint comparisons, indicate that the man who became a U.S. citizen as Philippe Bien-Aime is the same person once known as Philippe Janvier.
The complaint states that on July 31, 2000, an immigration judge ruled that Janvier entered the United States by fraud using a “photo-switched” passport and ordered him removed to Haiti.
Authorities say there is no evidence he ever complied with that removal order.
Additional reporting from Fox News’ Bill Melugin states that investigators allege Bien-Aime first entered the United States using a fraudulent “photo-switched” passport under the name Jean Philippe Janiver.
He was ordered deported in 2001, appealed the decision, and later withdrew the appeal, claiming he had returned to Haiti.
Instead, prosecutors allege, he remained in the United States, adopted the name Philippe Bien-Aime, changed his date of birth, and pursued legal status under the new identity.
The DOJ further alleges Bien-Aime obtained permanent residency through marriage fraud.
Prosecutors claim he married a U.S. citizen while still legally married to a spouse in Haiti.
The government alleges that a Haitian divorce certificate he submitted was “counterfeit and fraudulent.”
After what prosecutors describe as “a series of fraudulent statements,” Bien-Aime was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2006.
Federal investigators later uncovered the alleged scheme through fingerprint analysis comparing records tied to both identities.
The review is part of what officials describe as a broader national initiative by DOJ and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services aimed at identifying fraud in the naturalization system.
Bien-Aime, who was elected mayor of North Miami in 2019, most recently ran unsuccessfully for the Miami-Dade County Commission.
NBC6 reported that no one answered the door at his North Miami home.
Reached by phone, Bien-Aime declined to comment.
His attorney, Peterson St. Philippe, said, “We are aware of the government’s filing and are in the process of reviewing it. We intend to respond through the appropriate legal channels. As this is pending litigation, we will not be commenting further at this time.”
If the DOJ prevails, the case could trigger legal and political consequences tied to Bien-Aime’s time in office.
North Miami’s city code requires candidates to be qualified electors, meaning U.S. citizens eligible to vote and properly registered. U.S. citizenship is a prerequisite for voter registration.
“THE CASE JUST TOOK A SHOCKING TURN” — The FBI has reportedly announced a major development in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance
Nancy Guthrie Still Missing: Dramatic New Twist – FBI Summons Mystery Woman After Chilling Discovery at the Scene
(Exclusive Breaking Update – February 18, 2026 | Tucson, Arizona)
The case of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has just taken a turn that has left investigators—and the entire nation—reeling.
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In the past hour, multiple law enforcement sources close to the investigation have confirmed to reporters: the FBI has issued an urgent summons for a woman to appear for immediate questioning after authorities discovered a piece of physical evidence described as “critically important” during a follow-up examination of the crime scene or adjacent areas late yesterday.
The woman in question is not a member of the Guthrie family, not one of the individuals previously detained during last week’s high-profile SWAT raid, and not someone previously flagged in any public tip line. Her sudden emergence into the spotlight is the direct result of something found that was serious enough to force federal agents to act without hesitation.
What exactly was discovered remains under tight wraps. Sources would only characterize it as “physical evidence of substantial investigative value” — something that could potentially reshape the entire narrative of what happened in the early morning hours of February 1, when:
– A masked intruder deliberately blocked the doorbell camera at 1:47 a.m. using yard brush.
– Nancy’s pacemaker wireless signal flatlined at 2:28 a.m.
– Blood confirmed as hers was left on the front porch.
This latest development arrives amid a painful series of setbacks and dead ends:
– Last Friday’s massive federal raid ~2 miles from Nancy’s Catalina Foothills home: SWAT teams, FBI agents, forensics vans everywhere. A gray Range Rover towed away. Multiple people detained and questioned. Everyone released. No charges. No Nancy.
– The black glove breakthrough: DNA from the glove (visually matching those worn by the suspect in surveillance video) was rushed into CODIS — only for Sheriff Chris Nanos to announce yesterday: no match in the national database.
– Helicopter-mounted Bluetooth scanners continue to fly low, slow grids over the desert, desperately searching for any remaining trace of the pacemaker signal. No confirmed detections.
– More than 30,000 tips have poured in. The reward stands at $100,000. Fake ransom demands (bitcoin texts to family and media outlets) have only added cruelty to the family’s suffering. The real abductor has never made contact.
Now the focus has shifted dramatically to this unnamed woman. Is she a witness who withheld vital information? Did she cross paths with the intruder unknowingly? Or—most disturbingly—does the newly uncovered evidence place her in closer proximity to the night of the abduction than anyone previously imagined?
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has not yet released an official statement regarding the summons, but sources emphasize that she is currently being treated as a person of interest for information, not as a formal suspect. The FBI task force, still staged in Tucson, is reportedly prioritizing her interview while forensic laboratories push through remaining evidence from the raid and the glove.
Savannah Guthrie’s anguish remains raw and public. In her most recent Instagram post yesterday, she wrote:
“It’s been over two weeks since our mom was taken from us. We still believe she is out there. We still have hope. If you know anything—anything at all—please come forward. It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Outside Nancy’s home, the makeshift memorial continues to grow heavier: yellow flowers carpet the ground, ribbons flutter from every mailbox, the “Bring Her Home” banner is nearly buried under fresh handwritten prayers and messages. Neighbors say the entire Catalina Foothills community is holding its breath, praying, and refusing to give up.
Time is merciless. Nancy’s heart condition means every hour without her daily medications is a life-threatening gamble.
The next few hours — perhaps the next few minutes — could bring long-awaited answers… or plunge this already agonizing case into even deeper darkness.
Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Pima County Sheriff’s tip line immediately. The $100,000 reward remains in full effect.
This is a rapidly unfolding story. We will continue to update as more information becomes available.
What do you think this mystery woman knows?
Is this the breakthrough the investigation has been desperately seeking… or yet another heartbreaking false lead?
Share your theories, prayers, and support for the Guthrie family in the comments below. Nancy is still waiting.
