Six men from South Texas were charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced on March 20. The arrests followed an undercover operation conducted between March 17 and March 19.
The charges are part of ongoing efforts to address child sexual exploitation, which authorities say remains a significant concern. The defendants include Porfirio Palacios of San Juan, Ricardo De La Rosa of Pharr, Colin Alexander McLean of McAllen, Antonio Basaldua Rocha of Edinburg, Henry Martinez Lopez of Rio Grande City, and Anael Jossue Rodriguez-Rodas, a Honduran national residing illegally in Donna.
According to the criminal complaints, each man allegedly believed he was communicating online with a 16-year-old girl and discussed engaging in sexual activities. Authorities said the men arranged to meet the minor at specific locations and times and waited for her arrival. "A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law," Marck said.
McLean, Lopez, and Rodriguez-Rodas are scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis at 9 a.m., while De La Rosa and Rocha are expected to appear on March 23. Palacios has already made his initial appearance and will have a probable cause and detention hearing on March 23 at 2 p.m.
If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life in federal prison as well as a possible fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation with help from the Edinburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Alexis Garcia, Sarina S. DiPiazza, and Alexa D. Parcell are prosecuting these cases under Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas has included notable figures such as Alamdar Hamdani and Ryan Patrick among its former leaders according to the official history page. The office operates out of Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville as described on its official website. It is part of the U.S. Department of Justice under the Attorney General according to its official website.
The office employs more than 200 attorneys covering 43 counties with over nine million residents as detailed on its official website, focusing on prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil cases for the government according to its official website. Alamdar Hamdani served as U.S. Attorney from 2022 to 2025 as noted on its official history page.
