Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Mexican national, Raul Velasco-Leon, 39, has admitted to transporting child pornography across state lines into Mexico. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the guilty plea.
Velasco-Leon was intercepted on March 12 while traveling from Tennessee at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge as he attempted to enter Mexico. During a secondary inspection, authorities found youth-sized clothing with "Girl Power" printed on it and several electronic devices in his possession. Among these were 10 USB flash drives, two cell phones, and a laptop containing six files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving minor victims around ten years old.
The materials included five photographs and one video depicting CSAM. The images showed female minors via video chat exposing their genital areas. The video displayed a split screen with Velasco-Leon masturbating while showing a montage of CSAM featuring a female minor forced to perform oral sex on an adult male.
Velasco-Leon confessed to engaging in video chats where he would watch and record CSAM content.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen will sentence Velasco-Leon at a later date, where he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential $250,000 fine. He remains in custody pending sentencing.
“This case is about protecting kids both north and south of the border from the defendant’s predatory behavior,” stated Ganjei. “Although Velasco-Leon was about to depart the United States for Mexico, given his conduct, his stay in the U.S. is about to become much, much longer.”
Acting Deputy Special Agent Mauro Lopez of ICE-HSI Laredo commented on the significance of the guilty plea: “This guilty plea is a critical step in holding Velasco-Leon accountable for the disturbing crimes he committed.” He added that HSI remains dedicated to identifying and prosecuting those who exploit children alongside law enforcement partners.
The investigation was conducted by ICE-HSI with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez is handling prosecution under Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
