A homicide investigation in central Virginia has become the latest flashpoint in the debate over immigration enforcement after local deputies turned to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain a suspect before criminal charges could be filed.
According to a Department of Homeland Security news release, Raul Genesis Ortiz Moran, a 29-year-old Mexican national, has been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault in connection with the death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter. The charges are allegations, and Moran is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office initially detained Moran after the child’s death in early July but had not yet obtained the evidence necessary to secure criminal warrants.
Lt. Chuck Lowe told WWBT that investigators feared Moran could leave the area before the investigation was complete, prompting them to seek assistance from ICE.
“We were having a hard time getting a warrant—it was way too early—so we had to call ICE to detain him,” Lowe said.
BREAKING: DHS confirms that the suspect charged with sexually assaulting and murdering a 2-year-old girl in Louisa County, VA earlier this month is an illegal alien from Mexico. ICE filed a detainer on Raul Genesis Ortiz Moran with local law enforcement & they honored the… pic.twitter.com/gvj1FgWmFO
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 22, 2026
According to Lowe, investigators believed they had a narrow window to keep Moran in custody while forensic evidence was still being processed.
“There was that 24-hour period of time where we had to be very, very careful,” Lowe said. “We were definitely concerned he was just gonna get up and leave and we wouldn’t find him again.”
After investigators completed portions of the forensic investigation, Moran was formally charged with second-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault, WWBT reported.
The case has also sparked criticism from the Department of Homeland Security over Virginia’s immigration policies.
In the department’s news release, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s policies limiting cooperation between state agencies and federal immigration authorities.
“This monster sexually assaulted and murdered a 2-year-old girl in Virginia,” McLaughlin said. “Thanks to the cooperation of our local law enforcement partners, this killer is off the streets and will face justice for his crimes. This horrific tragedy was completely avoidable, because this illegal alien should have never been in our country.”
McLaughlin also argued that Spanberger’s immigration policies have made Virginia “a hotbed for illegal alien crime.”
The DHS release stated that authorities do not know when or where Moran allegedly entered the United States illegally. It also asserted that the Spanberger administration ended agreements that had previously allowed broader cooperation between Virginia law enforcement agencies and ICE.
Supporters of those policy changes have argued that limiting routine cooperation with federal immigration authorities helps build trust between immigrant communities and local police. Critics contend that the restrictions can complicate efforts to detain noncitizens accused of serious crimes.
According to The Roanoke Times, the investigation began when the child’s mother, who was dating Moran, brought the toddler to the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office seeking help. Deputies attempted lifesaving measures before the child was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, where she later died.
Moran has stated that he is not the child’s father.
Lowe told investigators it took approximately two weeks to gather the forensic evidence necessary to obtain the warrants used to charge Moran.
The Roanoke Times also reported that two days before the child’s death, Moran had been charged with driving without a license, an offense for which he had two previous convictions.
