Illegal alien sentenced to 6 years in prison for child sex crimes after Fairfax officials ignored ICE detainer, released him: DHS

Roni Mendez-Escobar, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was sentenced to six years and five months in prison on September 16. However, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, Fairfax County officials released Mendez-Escobar despite the detainer. He was taken into custody by ICE earlier this year.

“This illegal alien was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of child pornography and illegal re-entry,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “When ICE lodged a detainer for him after his arrest in October 2025, sanctuary politicians in Fairfax County, Virginia refused to honor it and RELEASED him into their community. Fortunately, their attempts to protect this pedophile failed and ICE arrested him several months later. Now he will be behind bars where he belongs, and when he finishes his sentence, ICE will be ready to deport him so he can never threaten another American child.”

The revelation from DHS was first reported by Nick Minock at WJLA.

Mendez-Escobar was originally arrested for the crime on October 23, 2025. ICE lodged a detainer against him, but it was not honored in Fairfax, and they released him on October 27 without notifying federal authorities. He was later apprehended by ICE at a court hearing appearance on April 22, 2026.

In 2015, Mendez-Escobar was deported three separate times before he entered again at an unknown time and location.