ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Charged with Possessing Child Pornography Who Was Released by Sanctuary Fairfax County

Fairfax County refused to honor an ICE detainer and released this criminal back onto the streets

WASHINGTON - The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested an illegal alien charged with possessing child pornography after Fairfax County sanctuary politicians RELEASED this pedophile from jail.

Roni Mendez-Escobar, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested at-large in Fairfax County following his release by sanctuary politicians. He was previously arrested in October of 2025 for 15 felony counts of possession of obscene material and 2 felony counts of possession of child porn with intent to distribute.

Following his arrest, ICE lodged a detainer on October 23, 2025 requesting Fairfax sanctuary politicians NOT release this child predator from jail. Disturbingly, Fairfax County sanctuary politicians released Mendez-Escobar on October 27, 2025 without notifying ICE.

On April 22, 2026, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C arrested Mendez-Escobar after a court appearance in Fairfax County.

"This sicko has been charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography and possession of child pornography with intent to distribute. Despite these heinous crimes, sanctuary politicians in Fairfax County, Virginia REFUSED to honor ICE's detainer and RELEASED a child predator from jail without notifying ICE," said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "Thanks to our law enforcement, this dangerous criminal is off our streets once again. This is yet another example of the recklessness of sanctuary policies that put politics above public safety."

Mendez-Escobar was previously deported THREE times in 2015 before illegally entering the United States a fourth time at an unknown place and time.

This is not the first example of sanctuary policies endangering residents of Fairfax County, which has become a hotbed of illegal alien crime in recent months:

• Earlier this month, Misael Lopez Gomez, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested and charged with murder and felony child abuse after bludgeoning his own 3-month-old daughter to death.
• In March, Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, another illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested and charged with second degree murder after fatally stabbing a man inside his home.
• In February, Abdul Jalloh, an illegal alien from Sierra Leone with more than 30 prior arrests, was charged with murder after fatally stabbing 41-year-old Stephanie Minter at a bus stop.

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