Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Federico Pascual‑Jimenez, a 34‑year‑old Mexican national, after a covert operation targeting online sexual predators.
Posing as a 14‑year‑old girl, an undercover ICE officer exchanged text messages with Pascual‑Jimenez. He sent sexually explicit content and repeatedly asserted that “age doesn’t matter.”
The conversation progressed to explicit sexual proposals and demands for secrecy. Pascual‑Jimenez then arranged to meet the supposed victim in the parking lot of a public swimming pool in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
When he arrived, he was surrounded by Homeland Security Investigations officers and taken into custody without incident.
He now faces federal felony charges of enticement of a minor for indecent purposes and illegal re‑entry into the United States.
Authorities note his criminal history includes a conviction for driving under the influence and five prior deportations.
Immigration officials detail a pattern of unlawful entries beginning in 2001, with multiple crossings through Arizona, Texas and California, each followed by removal actions.
State officials in South Dakota are coordinating with ICE to ensure he remains detained and to facilitate his eventual removal, aiming to protect children from further exploitation.
