Twice-deported illegal immigrant charged with rape, kidnapping
Former Acting ICE Director Jonathan Fahey weighed in on the case of Juan Arevalo Mendez, a twice-deported illegal immigrant now facing rape and kidnapping charges in Fairfax County, Virginia. Fahey pointed to Mendez’s lengthy criminal record, which authorities say includes assault and drug possession, arguing that the alleged violent offenses could have been avoided had Fairfax County worked with ICE to place him in federal custody. Mendez has been deported from the United States twice.
Federal immigration authorities are now seeking custody of an illegal immigrant being held in Kentucky on charges that include rape, human trafficking and sexual abuse, alleging he committed the crimes while acting as a landlord.
Rolando Cenobio Vasquez, a Mexican national, was arrested July 29 by Louisville police, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Authorities said Vasquez had rented a room in his Kentucky home to a mother and her 15-year-old daughter before allegedly beginning to abuse the teenager in December 2025.
Rolando Cenobio Vasquez, a Mexican citizen, faces rape and sexual abuse charges after authorities said he allegedly abused a teenage girl who lived with her mother in a rented room at his Kentucky residence. (Department of Homeland Security)
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“ICE has lodged a detainer asking officials in Louisville, Kentucky to not release this criminal from jail, and to hand him over to ICE custody so he can be removed from our country,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said.
Investigators allege Vasquez threatened both the mother and child, while at times offering the teenager money in an effort to keep the alleged sexual abuse hidden.
Vasquez is charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sodomy, human trafficking, promoting human trafficking involving a victim under 18, and sexual abuse.
Vasquez’s criminal history includes a prior conviction for driving under the influence of liquor. ICE lodged a detainer with the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections the same day he was arrested.
Vasquez initially entered the United States illegally in August 2013 through Texas, DHS said. He was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol and deported.
It was not clear when he illegally re-entered the U.S., according to DHS.
Louisville is not a sanctuary jurisdiction. In July 2025, the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections agreed to follow a federal law requiring inmates in custody be held for up to 48 hours on what are called immigration detainers.
