Illegal alien from Mexico residing in south Texas charged with possessing child pornography
LAREDO, Texas — A South Texas man working as mechanic in Laredo was charged Friday with possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.
This investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Webb County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office.
Gamaliel Cortez-Mendoza, 43, an illegal alien residing in Laredo was arrested Thursday following an investigation by the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force led by HSI and the Webb County Sheriff's Office Cyber Crime Unit with assistance from Laredo Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S. Marshals Service.
On Jan. 16, Cortez-Mendoza appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga who charged him with possessing child pornography. During his initial hearing, Judge Song Quiroga ordered Cortez-Mendoza to be held in custody pending a preliminary examination. He is scheduled to have his detention hearing Jan. 23.
“This arrest illustrates the value of having a task force dedicated to protecting the children of this community,” said Special Agent in Charge Janice Ayala, HSI San Antonio. “The concept for this task force was inspired by the many successes resulting from the strong partnership between HSI and Webb County, a partnership which was initiated at the direction of Sheriff Martin Cuellar.”
“Operation Child Guardian has proven to be a great success,” said Martin Cuellar, Webb County Sheriff. “Since its inception in 2009, more than 40 suspected child predators have been taken off the streets. We will continue to aggressively target those individuals who prey on our children."
The criminal complaint alleges Cortez-Mendoza downloaded images from the Internet depicting a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. During the past several months, Cortez-Mendoza allegedly downloaded such images multiple times to a laptop computer that was seized from him.
If convicted, Cortez-Mendoza faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. Upon conviction, he will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting this case.
This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 12,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.
For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
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