OXFORD, MS- According to a news release issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE HSI), an enforcement operation in Mississippi targeting child exploitation and sex offenders yielded 70 arrests statewide.
The operation, named Operation Muddy Waters, was a coordinated effort between HSI and state and local law enforcement partners that took place over a two-week period, specifically targeting child exploitation offenders and previously convicted sex offenders.
The arrests included charges related to child exploitation, solicitation of children, possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material, and violations involving previously convicted sex offenders.
“Those who choose to hide behind a computer screen to exploit children will not remain hidden,” said HSI Gulfport Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Reidell. “Operation Muddy Waters demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children, supporting victims, and holding offenders accountable. We will continue working with our federal, state, and local partners to bring these crimes to light, pursue those responsible, and help prevent further harm.”
The operation spurred multiple new child exploitation investigations, including individuals who traveled across state lines to engage in sexual activity with children, suspects involved in the livestreaming of child sexual exploitation, and individuals accused of downloading, sharing, or soliciting child sexual abuse material.
The operation also turned up several illegal aliens as well, accused of also crossing state lines to engage in sex with children. There were also several individuals who held “positions of public trust” suspected of possessing child sexual abuse material.
Participating partners in the operation included the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Marshals Service, sheriff’s offices in Marshall, DeSoto, Harrison, Pearl River, and Forrest counties, the Oxford Police Department and several other federal, state, and local partners, ICE HSI said.
ICE HSI urges anyone with information related to child sexual or other exploitation to contact their local police department. Anyone with tips related to Operation Muddy Waters is encouraged to call the HSI Tipline at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423). Suspected child sexual exploitation can also be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline at 1-800-THE-LOST.
Those charged include:
- Cristian Abel Argueta Giron, Honduras, criminal illegal alien who traveled from Tennessee to Mississippi to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a child
- Rahul Mandal, Bangladesh, criminal illegal alien living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who established communication with a 14-year-old boy via social media
- Jose Arevalo Garcia, Mexico, criminal illegal alien, a non-compliant sex offender convicted of sexual assault in 2010
- Enrique Bravo Gonzalez, Mexico, criminal illegal alien and non-compliant sex offender, previously convicted of a felony sexual offense against a child in 2022 and multiple traffic offenses in 2010 and 2011
- Justin Tyler Scott, a U.S. citizen from Pearl, Mississippi, who established communication with a 14-year-old boy via social media to have sex
- Yves Jean Baptiste Cook, a U.S. citizen from Mendenhall, Mississippi, who established communication with a 14-year-old girl via social media, sent masturbation videos, and asked for nude images
Cristian Abel Argueta Giron Rahul Mondal Jose Arevalo Garcia
Enrique Bravo Gonzalez Justin Tyler Scott Yves Jean Baptiste Cook
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