Federal agents say a routine airport search turned into a disturbing find when they uncovered child sexual‑abuse material and videos of a Fort Lauderdale man having sex with underage girls in Colombia on his phones at Fort Lauderdale‑Hollywood International Airport.
Investigators say 45‑year‑old Krisztian Kovacs of Delray Beach was stopped after landing on a JetBlue flight from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. During the search, agents say they seized two phones and found a Ziploc bag with 236 pills marked "Mambo 36," which they identified as tadalafil. Kovacs is now facing federal charges tied to the transportation and possession of child sexual‑abuse material and was being held in a Broward Sheriff's Office jail for the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to a federal criminal complaint described by WPLG Local 10, customs officers working with Homeland Security Investigations agents searched the phones and found photos of naked underage girls along with videos that allegedly show Kovacs "engaging in sexual activities with minor females." Travel records cited in the complaint indicate Kovacs made frequent trips to Colombia and the Dominican Republic in 2025. Messages on the devices reportedly included a WhatsApp chat where he bragged, "A few days ago I was having sex with a young 16‑year‑old girl." Agents say they also found screenshots, apparent payments to a girl, and chats where Kovacs asked, "Are you turning 17 this year?" According to the report, Kovacs declined to talk to agents and was set for an initial appearance in federal court on Monday.
What the complaint describes
Investigators say WhatsApp chats dated Dec. 18, 2025, show Kovacs telling a contact he had sex with "young people of 16, 17 and 18" and adding "I filmed," according to the complaint cited by WPLG Local 10. Agents say the two seized phones contained videos that appear to show Kovacs sexually engaging with minors, along with screenshots of a nude teenage girl. The phones were taken after customs officers flagged him for secondary inspection when he arrived at FLL.
Federal charges and penalties
Federal prosecutors have charged Kovacs under laws related to the transportation and possession of child sexual‑abuse material, which make it a crime to move, receive or possess images of minors across state or international borders. The Legal Information Institute at Cornell notes that 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252 and 2252A criminalize the transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography, and that transportation or distribution charges typically carry mandatory minimum prison terms of five years and up to 20 years. Penalties can increase depending on the type of images involved or prior convictions. In the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors commonly work with Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection when international travel and digital evidence play a key role in a case.
Local and international context
Authorities in South Florida have brought similar cases in recent years. In one 2025 case, a man who traveled to Colombia as a child‑sex tourist was sentenced to life in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Law enforcement agencies say international child‑sex tourism remains a high‑priority, cross‑border crime, and that they coordinate with foreign partners to track suspects and identify victims.
What comes next
Kovacs was scheduled for an initial appearance Monday in federal court in Fort Lauderdale. If a grand jury returns an indictment, the case would proceed under federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida. Investigators are expected to keep digging through his travel history and financial activity as the case moves forward, and additional filings or formal charges could follow as forensic work on the seized devices continues.
