Two Venezuelan nationals who were in the United States illegally have been sentenced to a combined 32½ years in federal prison after being convicted on child sex trafficking-related charges in Texas.
The sentences were handed down in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas following the convictions of Giannys Alexandra Ramirez-Fernandez and Nelson Adrian Perez-Martinez.
Federal prosecutors secured convictions against both defendants on charges of conspiracy to traffic a child and transportation of a child with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Perez-Martinez was also convicted on additional charges, including benefiting from child sex trafficking and aiding and abetting coercion and enticement.
The court sentenced Ramirez-Fernandez to 12½ years in federal prison. Perez-Martinez received a 20-year prison sentence.
Following the sentencing, the Department of Homeland Security highlighted the case as part of the Trump administration’s broader focus on combating human trafficking and immigration-related crime.
“These depraved illegal aliens were convicted for child sex trafficking,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Lauren Bis said in a statement.
Bis noted that one of the defendants had previously been released into the United States after being apprehended at the southern border.
“One of them was released into the country by the Biden Administration,” Bis said. “Now, thanks to the hard work of the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, partner agencies, and our state and local partners, these child traffickers will be behind bars for years.”
She also criticized the previous administration’s handling of unaccompanied migrant children, arguing that insufficient vetting created opportunities for criminal exploitation.
“Under the Biden Administration, unaccompanied minors were placed with unvetted sponsors who were actually smugglers and sex traffickers,” Bis said. “President Trump and Secretary Mullin are committing to locating these children and holding child sex traffickers accountable.”
According to DHS, Ramirez-Fernandez entered the United States after crossing the southern border without being detected by federal authorities, making her what immigration officials refer to as a “got-away.”
Perez-Martinez, by contrast, was apprehended by U.S. authorities after crossing the border in Texas in 2023. According to DHS, he was later released into the United States while his immigration case proceeded.
The case has become another flashpoint in the continuing national debate over border security and immigration enforcement. Supporters of stricter immigration policies argue that cases involving serious violent crimes underscore the need for stronger detention policies and more rigorous screening procedures. Others have cautioned against drawing broader conclusions about immigration based on individual criminal cases while emphasizing the importance of prosecuting traffickers regardless of immigration status.
Federal officials credited investigators from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, for building the case that led to the convictions.
