A 39-year-old Mexican citizen, Abelardo Sanchez, has been extradited to the United States to face charges of producing child sexual abuse material.
According to ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents, Sanchez had been living in Dublin, Ireland, before fleeing to Austria, where he was eventually apprehended and extradited to the U.S.
Sanchez's online activity was the focus of an intensive investigation, which revealed an account containing child sexual abuse material, some of which dated back to 2014.
Special agents were able to identify a child victim who lived in Texas at the time Sanchez produced the images, and the evidence was used to secure his extradition.
Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella stated, "The fight against child sexual exploitation transcends borders. It requires collaboration between law enforcement at every level and across the world."
A team of agents from The Hague, Dublin, and Vienna worked with international law enforcement partners and agents in McAllen to investigate the case, relying on the Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs for assistance.
If convicted, Sanchez faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years in federal prison, as well as a possible fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia is prosecuting the case, which is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood is a collaborative effort between U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, aimed at locating, apprehending, and prosecuting individuals who sexually exploit children and identifying and rescuing victims.
