Federal officials say a Mexican immigrant living illegally in the U.S. orchestrated a fake kidnapping to manipulate public perception and scam donations.
Mexican immigrant fakes ICE kidnapping
The Department of Justice announced that Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, now faces charges of conspiracy and making false statements to federal agents following the alleged fabrication.
According to prosecutors, the Los Angeles-based migrant and her family falsely claimed she had been abducted by armed, masked men, who were allegedly posing as immigration officers, in broad daylight outside a Jack in the Box fast-food restaurant.
The story, pushed through media outlets and legal channels, ignited public concern and prompted law enforcement agencies to launch a full-scale investigation into her disappearance.
Authorities say the entire episode was a carefully plotted attempt to smear federal immigration enforcement while simultaneously soliciting financial support from the public.
“Dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated on Thursday.
“The conduct alleged in today’s complaint shows this hoax ‘kidnapping’ was a well-orchestrated conspiracy.”
“The defendant and all those involved will face the full consequences of their conduct under federal law,” he added.
Mexican immigrant sparks media frenzy
The saga reportedly began in late June, when Calderon family lawyer held a press conference and claimed that she was forcefully taken by unidentified men in unmarked vehicles.
The incident allegedly sparked immediate headlines and drawing support from local immigrant advocacy groups.
According to federal documents, the attorney suggested that Calderon may have been targeted by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or by bounty hunters acting on their behalf.
Further claims asserted she was transferred to San Ysidro, coerced into signing self-deportation papers, and later punished by being moved to a secretive warehouse facility.
Her daughter launched a GoFundMe campaign during the media storm, asking for $4,500 to aid the family during the ordeal.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded by opening a missing persons case, while federal immigration authorities began their own inquiry.
ICE agents were reportedly alarmed when records revealed Calderon was not in custody, prompting a weekend-long manhunt during the July 4 holiday.
She was eventually located on July 5 in a Bakersfield, California shopping center parking lot.
When confronted, she allegedly doubled down on the story, claiming again to have been abducted and detained by masked men. But evidence soon painted a different picture.
Surveillance footage, according to the DOJ, captured Calderon calmly entering a sedan after exiting the Jack in the Box, contradicting the alleged kidnapping timeline.
Investigators also cited cell phone data and fabricated images that appeared to be digitally manipulated to depict Calderon as having endured mistreatment during her supposed detention.
“Since early July, my office invested valuable time and resources working this alleged kidnapping investigation only to discover that it was a hoax,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang.
“The real cost of a fraud like this is the amount of fentanyl not seized, child predators not removed from the communities, and human trafficking victims not rescued because law enforcement re-directed resources to recover the defendant.”
Prosecutors are now pursuing criminal charges that could result in multiple years of federal prison time if Calderon is convicted.
She faces a statutory maximum sentence for conspiracy and up to five years for the false statement charge.
DHS releases statement
The Department of Homeland Security has also taken the opportunity to call out what it describes as misleading media narratives surrounding immigration enforcement, stating that much of the public is being misinformed about who ICE is actually removing from the country.
“The media continues to peddle this FALSE narrative that ICE is not targeting criminal illegal aliens,” Assistant Secretary McLaughlin said in a statement.
“The official data tells the true story: 70% of ICE arrests were criminal illegal aliens with convictions or pending charges.”
“Additionally, many illegal aliens categorized as ‘non-criminals’ are actually terrorists, human rights abusers, gang members and more — they just don’t have a rap sheet in the U.S.,” she added.
“This deceptive ‘non-criminal’ categorization is devoid of reality and misleads the American public.”
Separately, ICE officials in Denver announced the arrest of a South African national accused of violent behavior and threats.
ICE Denver arrested Simon Gous, 37, a criminal alien from South Africa. He has arrests for DUI, use of a weapon to commit felony & terroristic threats. He will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings. pic.twitter.com/QiZg78iPcH
— ICE Denver (@ERODenver) July 14, 2025
Authorities say the man is one of three South Africans recently apprehended for criminal conduct while living in the U.S., with one already deported and another under investigation for rape.
The suspect, 37-year-old Simon Gous, reportedly has a record that includes driving under the influence, making terroristic threats, and using a weapon in the commission of a felony.
“He has arrests for driving under the influence (DUI), the use of a weapon to commit a felony, and terroristic threats. He will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings,” the agency said in a statement.
