US News
Three men arrested in Virginia child exploitation sting released on bond despite ICE detainers
Federal authorities criticized local bond releases and state policies after three suspects identified as being in the country illegally posted bail.
The short version
- Three men arrested in a Fairfax County, Virginia, child exploitation sting posted secured bonds ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 and were released.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had placed detainers on all three men, whom the Department of Homeland Security identified as noncitizens with prior criminal charges or records.
- DHS criticized local officials and state policies for non-cooperation with federal immigration detainers.
Key facts
- Fairfax County police arrested nine men in a child exploitation sting targeting individuals attempting to meet minors for sexual encounters after communicating with undercover officers.[Fox News]
- The Department of Homeland Security identified three of the arrested men as Reyben Leono Sanchez Hernandez, Wilmer Alexander Aguilar Cruz, and Henry Adalberto Flores Herrera.[Fox News]
- ICE placed detainers on Sanchez Hernandez, Aguilar Cruz, and Flores Herrera with the Fairfax County Detention Center in July.[Fox News]
- All three men were released from local custody after posting secured bonds—$3,000 each for Sanchez Hernandez and Aguilar Cruz, and $5,000 for Flores Herrera.[Fox News]
- According to DHS, Sanchez Hernandez and Aguilar Cruz were previously apprehended entering the U.S. illegally in 2013 and 2012, respectively, before being released into the country.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unspecified how Henry Adalberto Flores Herrera originally entered the United States.[Fox News]