Honk News (McAllen, TX) – A man from South Texas received a 15-year federal prison sentence on Wednesday for sexually exploiting a pregnant 16-year-old immigrant, who officials claim he was trafficking, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.
Luis Andres Serna, 30, from Laredo, has admitted guilt to charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, along with human transportation and drug conspiracy offenses.
Authorities report that Serna was taken into custody on April 5, 2022, along with an undocumented immigrant whom they allege he collected from downtown Laredo and transported to his apartment complex. A 16-year-old pregnant girl was riding with him at that time.
On that day, police conducted a raid on Serna’s apartment building, discovering 37 undocumented immigrants and more than 1,000 kilos of marijuana in various apartments associated with Serna. He was taken into custody for drug trafficking and for conspiring to transport and harbor illegal aliens.
A teenage girl testified in court that she had given birth to a child, claiming that Serna was the father.
While in federal custody on drug and immigration charges, officials report that Serna reached out to the minor but did not inform them of her age. He had video calls with her that were of a sexual nature.
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“The defendant’s conduct in this case was absolutely reprehensible, and that the fact that it continued even while he was in custody underscores just how dangerous he is,” Ganjei said. “From alien smuggling, to drug trafficking, to sexual exploitation of a minor, the defendant took every opportunity to harm his community. Fortunately for the people of Laredo, he is now behind bars for a long while.”
The “sentencing should serve as a deterrent to those involved in sexual exploitation, alien smuggling and drug trafficking,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “ICE-HSI remains committed to investigating and bringing to justice criminals which harm individuals and communities. Through our dedicated efforts and strong partnerships with law enforcement, we will continue to hold perpetrators accountable and protect vulnerable victims from exploitation and abuse.”