Deported multiple times, Mexico man sneaks back into US; exploits 2 minors

A Mexican national who had been deported from the US multiple times before illegally reentering the country has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting two minors, the US Department of Justice said.Erik Santana-Garcia, 34, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced on July 30 to 20 years in federal prison without parole, followed by lifetime supervised release, according to the DOJ.He was convicted of interstate transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, possession of child pornography and illegal reentry into the US following a prior deportation.ICE said Santana-Garcia had been removed from the US before illegally reentering the country and will be deported to Mexico after serving his 20-year prison sentence.The agency said the Trump administration has “zero tolerance” for child predators and people who illegally enter the US.Transported minor from UtahSantana-Garcia pleaded guilty on March 3, 2026, according to court documents. Prosecutors said he transported a minor across state lines with the intention of engaging in illegal sexual activity with the child.He left Utah with the minor on November 10, 2024, intending to take the child to New York. However, officers with the Oak Grove Police Department in Missouri located the pair two days later.Material involving second minor foundHomeland Security Investigations later found child pornography depicting a second minor on a phone seized from Santana-Garcia at the time of his arrest, prosecutors said.Santana-Garcia had previously been deported and removed from the US multiple times, most recently on March 6, 2019, according to the DOJ.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.