Two Honduran nationals residing illegally in the United States have been indicted in the Northern District of Georgia on charges related to smuggling an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) and submitting fraudulent sponsorship applications. The indictment, unsealed today, alleges that Luis Adolfo Mendoza Fonseca and his sister, Rosmery Yambiel Castillo Fonseca, were involved in encouraging a 15-year-old Nicaraguan national to enter the U.S. under a false identity and attempting to gain custody of her through deception.
“Through coordinated lies and deception, two illegal aliens smuggled a child into our country to facilitate the exploitation of a 15-year-old child by a 30-year-old man,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of unwavering law enforcement dedication, the child has been removed from a predatory situation, and the deceitful duo who trafficked her will be held accountable for their crimes.”
“This indictment alleges a disturbing scheme where two individuals who were in this country illegally lured a young girl to the United States, gave her a false identity and tried to fraudulently gain custody of her through the Office of Refugee Resettlement,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Government programs designed to afford protection cannot become tools for exploitation – especially of children. The Criminal Division and Joint Task Force Alpha will find those who deceive the government to gain access to vulnerable children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Defrauding a program designed to protect vulnerable children and attempting to manipulate the sponsorship process is a serious crime that will not be tolerated,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These programs are intended to ensure the safety and well-being of children in need and must never be misused for personal gain. Working with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will aggressively pursue those who undermine these protections and bring them to justice.”
According to court information presented by U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, Mendoza Fonseca began an online relationship with the minor in spring 2024 before encouraging her travel into the United States using an assumed identity provided by him. The purpose was allegedly so that Castillo Fonseca could sponsor her as a relative under false pretenses when she arrived.
In March 2025, Castillo Fonseca submitted an application identifying herself as sponsoring her cousin—though both siblings later admitted that this was not true and acknowledged Mendoza Fonseca’s romantic involvement with the minor.
Both defendants appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Atlanta earlier today on charges including conspiracy to encourage illegal entry into the United States, aiding or abetting such encouragement for financial gain, and making false statements. They remain detained pending further proceedings.
If convicted, each faces up to ten years in prison on conspiracy-related charges and up to five years for making false statements. An indictment is not evidence of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.
The case is being prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which coordinates efforts between agencies such as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other federal entities targeting human smuggling organizations across borders including Mexico, Central America, Canada, Caribbean regions, maritime borders, and beyond.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia serves over 7 million residents across north Georgia—including Atlanta suburbs—and handles cases with national or international implications as part of its mission as principal federal law enforcement agency in its district (official website). The office prioritizes prosecution against threats like terrorism, human trafficking—including cases like this one—and civil rights violations while working closely with law enforcement partners (official website).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek along with JTFA Trial Attorney Aaron Jennen are leading prosecution efforts.
This matter falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at countering illegal immigration activities involving organized criminal groups.
For more information about this case or related matters within northern Georgia’s jurisdiction—which covers areas from mountain regions through metropolitan Atlanta—visit the official website.
