Mexican illegal immigrant intercepted in Missouri, sentenced for child exploitation

An illegal immigrant who was caught in the Kansas City metro area has been sentenced for sexually exploiting children and illegally reentering the United States after multiple deportations.

Mexican national Erik Santana-Garcia, 34, of Salt Lake City, has been deported on multiple occasions, most recently in March 2019. Having returned to the U.S. illegally, Santana-Garcia attempted to transport a 15-year-old girl from Utah to New York to engage in illegal sexual activity with the minor in November 2024.

Santana-Garcia was intercepted in Missouri by officers with the Oak Grove Police Department and was unable to successfully transport the teen. A Department of Homeland Security investigation later revealed child pornography depicting a second minor victim on Santana-Garcia’s phone.

Santana-Garcia was originally charged with:

• Transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity

• Being an alien in possession of a firearm

• Illegal reentry by a previously deported alien

• Possession of child pornography

He pleaded guilty in March to sexually exploiting two minor victims and illegally reentering the United States. He was sentenced last month to 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. It was not immediately clear whether he would face deportation upon release.