Illegal alien and several valley residents arrested in spring break operation for attempting to meet with minors for sex

McALLEN, Texas - Six South Texas men have been charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.

Authorities took Porfirio Palacios, 46, San Juan; Ricardo De La Rosa, 54, Pharr; Colin Alexander McLean, 21, McAllen; Antonio Basaldua Rocha, 23, Edinburg; Henry Martinez Lopez, 53, Rio Grande City; and Honduran national Anael Jossue Rodriguez-Rodas, 35, who illegally resided in Donna, into custody during enforcement actions this week.

McLean, Lopez and Rodriguez-Rodas are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis at 9 a.m. De La Rosa and Rocha are expected to appear March 23. Palacios has already made his initial appearance and is set for a probable cause and detention hearing March 23 at 2 p.m.

All are charged in separate, but related and similar criminal complaints that detail an undercover chat operation from March 17-19. The six men allegedly believed they were communicating with a 16-year-old minor female via various online social media applications. The charges allege the conversations discussed engaging in sexual activities.

According to the complaints, the men enticed the "minor female" to meet up with them in order to have sex. The charges allege each man went to the arranged place at the discussed time and waited for the girl to arrive.

If convicted, all six face a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Edinburg Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Alexis Garcia, Sarina S. DiPiazza and Alexa D. Parcell are prosecuting the cases which were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ's PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.