While skepticism of ICE remains, bystanders agree that deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal histories should be beyond controversy. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)
A Guatemalan man living illegally in the U.S. has been arrested by federal immigration agents after he was released from jail by Virginia authorities, despite being charged with possessing child pornography, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Roni Mendez-Escobar was arrested Wednesday in Fairfax County, which has drawn national media attention amid a series of crimes committed by illegal immigrants there in recent months.
"Этот больной человек обвиняется по нескольким пунктам в хранении детской порнографии и хранении детской порнографии с целью распространения. Несмотря на эти чудовищные преступления, политики-убежища в округе Фэрфакс, штат Вирджиния, отказались соблюдать ордер на задержание ICE и освободили педофила из тюрьмы, не уведомив ICE", - заявила в четверг исполняющая обязанности помощника секретаря DHS Лорен Бис.
Roni Mendez-Escobar, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested in Fairfax County, Va., following his release despite have an active ICE detainer. He was previously arrested in October for 15 felony counts of possession of obscene material and two felony counts of possession of child porn with intent to distribute. (Department of Homeland Security; Getty Images)
Mendez-Escobar was initially arrested in October 2025 and charged with 15 felony counts of possession of obscene material and two felony counts of possession of child porn with intent to distribute. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer with Fairfax County, but it was ignored and he was released days after his arrest without ICE being notified, DHS said.
Mendez-Escobar, who had been deported from the U.S. three times since 2015, entered illegally for a fourth time at an unknown place and date, authorities said.
Fairfax County has made headlines in recent months over a string of crimes tied to illegal immigrants.
Earlier this month, Misael Lopez Gomez, also an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was arrested and charged with murder and felony child abuse after bludgeoning his own 3-month-old daughter to death.
In March, Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, also from Guatemala, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder after fatally stabbing a man inside his home.
Abdul Jalloh, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone with a long criminal history including more than 30 arrests, was charged with murder after fatally stabbing Stephanie Minter at a bus stop.
This week, Israel Flores Ortiz, 18, was sentenced to 360 days in jail after being convicted of groping several female classmates in Fairfax High School hallways earlier this year.
Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.
