A 35-year-old Honduran national living in Donna pleaded guilty on Jul. 27 to attempting to entice or coerce a minor into engaging in sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.
Anael Jossue Rodriguez-Rodas communicated over three days with an individual he believed was a 16-year-old girl. During these conversations, Rodriguez-Rodas said he wanted to have sex with her and sent her a picture of two adults engaging in sexual activity. He later arranged to meet at a local park and intended to take her back to his house for sex. Law enforcement took him into custody upon his arrival.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane will impose sentencing on Oct. 6. At that time, Rodriguez-Rodas faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison, as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Edinburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarina S. DiPiazza and M. Alexis Garcia are prosecuting the case under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas focuses on prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil cases for the government, employs more than 200 attorneys, covers 43 counties with a population exceeding nine million, and maintains offices in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville as part of its role within the Department of Justice under the Attorney General’s direction, according to its official website. Notable former leaders include Alamdar Hamdani and Ryan Patrick, according to its official history page.