Mississippi Child Exploitation Crackdown Nets 70 Arrests, Including Undocumented Immigrants, Feds Say

Federal officials said 70 people were arrested across Mississippi in a two-week statewide crackdown focused on child exploitation suspects and previously convicted sex offenders, including illegal immigrants.

The effort, known as Operation Muddy Waters, brought together multiple federal, state and local agencies. Authorities said it led to new child exploitation cases involving allegations that ranged from illegal immigrants crossing state lines to abuse minors to suspects accused of exchanging child sexual abuse material.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the following individuals were arrested on charges connected to Operation Muddy Waters:

Cristian Abel Argueta Giron: An illegal immigrant from Honduras accused of traveling from Tennessee to Mississippi “for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.”

Rahul Mondal: An illegal immigrant from Bangladesh who was in the U.S. on a student visa at the University of Alabama and allegedly “established communication with a 14-year-old male via social media.”

Jose Arevalo Garcia: An illegal immigrant from Mexico who authorities allege is a non-compliant sex offender and was previously convicted of sexual assault in 2010.

Enrique Bravo Gonzalez: An illegal immigrant from Mexico who is allegedly a non-compliant sex offender who was previously convicted for a felony sexual offense against a child in 2022.

Justin Tyler Scott: A U.S. citizen who allegedly “established communication with a 14-year-old male via social media to have sex.”

Yves Jean Baptiste Cook: A U.S. citizen who allegedly “established communication with a 14-year-old female via social media, sent masturbation videos and requested nude images.”

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch told News Outlet in a statement that one child was saved from a sextortion scheme in progress.

“For two weeks, federal, state and local law enforcement have been working together to find the predators who hide in plain sight in our communities. And the outstanding number of arrests made during this operation point to the power of this partnership,” Fitch said. 

“But the most important number coming from this operation is the one child victim that was saved from a sextortion scheme in progress. The work done in this operation made all the difference to this child and to countless others who are a little safer online right now.”

The operation involved participation from 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 other federal, state and local partners. 

“Those who choose to hide behind a computer screen to exploit children will not remain hidden,” said Matthew Reidell, assistant special agent in charge of HSI Gulfport. 

“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.”