Washington D.C.'s efforts to stay vigilant against crimes involving children were highlighted this week, as news emerged about the arrest of Felipe Contreras-Varillas, a Mexican citizen charged with attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with a minor. Contreras-Varillas, 31, was previously deported from the U.S. three times and is now facing charges of unlawful re-entry, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced in a complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court.
According to the Department of Justice, law enforcement apprehended Contreras-Varillas on January 12th, following a felony charge for the alleged offense from the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. It was during processing that his fingerprints confirmed his identity and unlawful status in the United States, despite his repeated deportations.
In the charge, it's detailed that Contreras-Varillas was taken into custody at a hotel on Euclid Street in Northwest D.C., where he had allegedly planned to meet with someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy. During his arrest, the accused was found with personal identification documents, including his Mexican passport and birth certificate. Following his capture, it was revealed that his most recent deportation occurred in Laredo, Texas, in 2017.
The case against Contreras-Varillas is being managed by the U.S. Attorney's Office Investigations Unit along with the Metropolitan Police Department, and it will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Swanson, Josh Satter, and David Liss. The allegations, if proven, serve as a stark reminder of the need for robust law enforcement collaboration in protecting minors from exploitation, while also addressing the complications of immigration and re-entry violations.
