A Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was detained by a Federal Magistrate Judge in Oxford, Mississippi. Last week, Adolfo Raul Vasquez-Santana, 32, of Southaven, Mississippi, was arrested on allegations of possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, Vasquez-Santana allegedly downloaded and shared videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, some appearing younger than 13 years of age. He is charged with the receipt or distribution of these images over the internet. If convicted, Vasquez-Santana faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing would be determined by a federal district court judge considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation leading to Vasquez-Santana's arrest was initiated by the Southaven Police Department, following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Although initially charged by the state, he was released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation from the United States. Subsequently, the Department of Homeland Security charged him with federal offenses.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi commented, “The Department of Justice will fully prosecute any alien that violates the laws of our great country. Possession of child sexual abuse images leads to further abuse of the most vulnerable members of our society: our children. The DOJ will do everything in our power to protect them and to that end, I appreciate the Southaven Police Department for their thorough investigation of this matter.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison. It forms part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aiming to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime. This operation leverages resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
It is important to note that a criminal complaint is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.