Mexican Woman Charged After Faking Her Own ICE Kidnapping in Elaborate Hoax to Solicit Donations

A Mexican woman residing illegally in the United States is facing serious federal charges after authorities revealed she orchestrated a sophisticated and brazen hoax, pretending to have been kidnapped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in order to stir public outrage and solicit donations.

The case has stunned federal officials, drawing condemnation from law enforcement leaders and renewed scrutiny over the dangerous rhetoric surrounding U.S. immigration enforcement.

The woman at the center of the scandal, Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, was arrested and charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Thursday.

Calderon, who had been living in South Los Angeles, is alleged to have conspired with others to stage her own kidnapping, fabricating a story that quickly spread through local media outlets and immigration advocacy circles.

Calderon was in the United States under a federal law enforcement parole program, but her status expired in 2023. Instead of complying with immigration proceedings, she allegedly concocted an elaborate ruse, staging her own abduction by ICE to elicit public sympathy and financial support.

The scheme first gained traction when local Los Angeles news outlet KTLA covered a press conference organized by Calderon’s purported "loved ones and attorneys," who claimed she had been forcibly kidnapped by uniformed men in unmarked vehicles on June 25.

At the press conference, a woman identified as Calderon’s legal representative, Stephano Medina, made sensational claims. Medina alleged that Calderon had been cornered in a Jack in the Box parking lot in Los Angeles by unidentified men, whom she suggested were possibly bounty hunters posing as law enforcement.

Medina further claimed that Calderon was taken to the U.S.-Mexico border, presented to an ICE agent, and pressured to sign self-deportation documents. According to Medina, Calderon was held in a warehouse until she finally relented and agreed to sign the paperwork — a narrative that stirred immediate outrage and concern among immigrant rights groups.

However, an extensive federal investigation soon unraveled the entire story. A criminal complaint, obtained by Fox News Digital, was filed against Calderon in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Accompanying the complaint was a detailed affidavit that laid bare the hoax. Federal authorities allege that Calderon, along with accomplices, meticulously planned the fake kidnapping for personal benefit, including financial gain.

One of the pivotal aspects of the scheme involved Calderon’s daughter, who set up a GoFundMe campaign seeking $4,500, citing her mother’s alleged abduction by "masked men in an unmarked vehicle."

The daughter also filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), which escalated the case to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) given the alleged connection to federal immigration enforcement.

HSI, concerned for Calderon’s safety, launched a comprehensive investigation. It did not take long for investigators to detect glaring inconsistencies in the narrative.

One of the first red flags involved the supposed phone calls Calderon made to her family from "borrowed" phones. HSI determined that these calls were actually made from Calderon’s own cell phone, which had been digitally masked to display as an unknown number.

Further surveillance footage obtained by investigators thoroughly debunked the claim that Calderon had been forcibly abducted. Video from the Jack in the Box parking lot showed Calderon leaving the location calmly and voluntarily, entering a nearby sedan without any signs of distress or coercion.

Notably, an LAPD patrol car was parked visibly nearby during the alleged "kidnapping," yet Calderon made no attempt to alert the police or seek help — another detail that further unraveled her story.

The affidavit also documented that when confronted with factual contradictions, Calderon and her associates lied to federal agents and deliberately attempted to thwart law enforcement’s efforts to locate her. The deception not only wasted critical investigative resources but also put other community safety priorities at risk.

HSI’s relentless work eventually led to Calderon’s location on July 5, when agents tracked her to a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, California. Upon her arrest, Calderon reportedly continued to stick to her false narrative, maintaining that she had been taken by masked men and held alongside other individuals.

Calderon is now in federal immigration custody and faces up to five years in federal prison for each count if convicted — one count for conspiracy and another for making false statements to federal officers.

Commenting on the case, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli praised HSI and federal law enforcement agencies for their persistence and professionalism despite the politically charged environment surrounding immigration enforcement.

"Dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents," Essayli said.

Eddy Wang, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Los Angeles, was equally blunt in his assessment. "My office invested valuable time and resources working this alleged kidnapping investigation only to discover that it was a hoax," Wang stated. "Diverting critical law enforcement resources is not only reckless and irresponsible, but it also endangers the community."

Wang further emphasized that the real cost of such fraudulent schemes is not measured merely in wasted time but in the broader consequences for community safety.

"The real cost of a fraud like this is the amount of fentanyl not seized, child predators not removed from the communities, and human trafficking victims not rescued because law enforcement redirected resources to recover the defendant," he added.

The DOJ affirmed its commitment to pursuing those who exploit the justice system for personal or political gain. "We want to assure the public that allegations of criminal activity will be thoroughly investigated by HSI and our law enforcement partners," Wang said, "and that those who engage in fraud and deception will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Even the White House weighed in on the controversy. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson criticized media outlets for amplifying Calderon’s false claims without conducting basic fact-checking.

"The Fake News is so desperate to believe any anti-ICE narrative that they refuse to actually check the facts and instead just echo the lies they’re fed," Jackson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"The truth has come out: this was nothing more than another Fake News Hoax," she continued. "Any outlet that participated in this hoax should be ashamed and apologize to their viewers for lying to them. Trust in the media is at an all-time low and this is the perfect example why."

This case has exposed the broader dangers of misinformation and the politicization of immigration enforcement. While legitimate concerns about ICE practices exist, incidents like Calderon’s fabricated kidnapping not only undermine genuine advocacy efforts but also place undue strain on law enforcement tasked with addressing real threats such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and violent crime.

As Calderon’s case proceeds through the federal courts, it serves as a stark reminder of the serious legal consequences that accompany false claims and fraud. The incident has also reinforced the resolve of federal agencies to pursue justice vigorously, ensuring that resources are not squandered chasing fabricated stories while genuine victims and public safety priorities hang in the balance.