Mexican national heads to federal prison for transporting child sexual abuse material across state lines to Mexico

LAREDO, Texas - A 40-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for the transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Raul Velasco-Leon pleaded guilty June 16, 2025.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now sentenced Velasco-Leon to 115 months. He must also serve five years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Velasco-Leon will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

On March 12, 2025, Velasco-Leon attempted to cross the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo to enter Mexico. After Velasco-Leon was referred to secondary inspection, agents found what appeared to be a piece of youth-sized clothing with the words "Girl Power" tucked inside a jean pocket. Law enforcement also discovered multiple electronic devices, including 10 USB flash drives, two cell phones, and a laptop. On one of the devices, agents discovered six files containing child sexual abuse material of minor victims of approximately 10 years of age. One of the videos containing CSAM also included Velasco-Leon on a split screen.

Velasco-Leon admitted he had been engaged in a video chat and would screen record the CSAM he viewed. A forensic analysis of the other devices uncovered an additional twenty-three images and twenty-one videos containing CSAM.

Velasco-Leon has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez prosecuted the case, which was 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.