A 39-year-old Mexican national, Raul Velasco-Leon, has entered a guilty plea on charges of transporting child pornography into Mexico, as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. On a routine cross-border trip on March 12, Velasco-Leon, coming from Tennessee, was selected for a secondary inspection at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, which revealed a cache of electronic devices containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
During the detailed search, law enforcement found a piece of youth-sized clothing with the phrase "Girl Power" inside a jean pocket alongside 10 USB flash drives, two cell phones, and a laptop. On these devices, officials discovered six files with explicit material involving minor victims of approximately 10 years old, according to the Department of Justice. The content included five photographs and a video featuring not only CSAM but also Velasco-Leon himself engaged in lewd acts.
Velasco-Leon admitted to his role in these activities, confessing that he would watch and screen record the CSAM during video chats whenever the material surfaced. U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen is slated to sentence Velasco-Leon at a later date, where he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and could be fined up to $250,000. Pending his sentencing, Velasco-Leon remains in custody.
"This guilty plea is a critical step in holding Velasco-Leon accountable for the disturbing crimes he committed," said Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mauro Lopez of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Laredo. Lopez emphasized the commitment of HSI to identify and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as noted by the Justice Department. The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez stands as the prosecutor for this case, which underscores the government's ongoing effort to safeguard children from sexual predators. For further details on the initiative and resources for internet safety education, the public can visit the DOJ’s PSC page. ICE-HSI conducted the investigation with the help of Customs and Border Protection, reflecting the collaborative work of federal and local agencies to tackle this heinous crime.
