A Guatemalan national living illegally in the United States has been sentenced to federal prison after prosecutors said he helped bring a 14-year-old girl into the country unlawfully, obtained custody of her through a federal program using false information, and later sexually assaulted her.
The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that Juan Tiul Xi, 27, was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to encouraging illegal entry for financial gain, making false statements to the government, and aggravated identity theft. The federal sentence will be served consecutively to an eight-year Ohio state prison sentence he is already serving following convictions for two counts of sexual battery involving the child.
According to court records, Tiul Xi arranged for the girl and her family to borrow money to pay a smuggler to bring her into the United States. Prosecutors said he directed the child to enter the country using the identity and birth certificate of his minor sister, allowing him to claim she was a family member on paperwork submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
ORR approved the sponsorship application and released the girl into his custody in September 2023. Authorities said the assaults occurred after she was placed with him.
Federal prosecutors also unsealed charges against three other Guatemalan nationals accused of participating in a larger operation involving unaccompanied alien children. Those charged are Maritza Azucena Cahuec Coc, 38, Carlos Agustin Cahuec Coc, 33, and Gladys Marina Caal Chen, 20.
Investigators allege Maritza Cahuec Coc coordinated efforts between December 2020 and October 2023 to bring illegal immigrants, including minors, into the United States and obtain custody of children through fraudulent ORR sponsorship applications. Prosecutors said the applications relied on aliases, false identity documents, and fabricated family relationships, with several being approved.
Authorities further allege that paychecks issued to other individuals, including at least one sponsored child, were deposited into bank accounts controlled by Cahuec Coc and a co-conspirator.
A search warrant executed at her residence on May 22 led investigators to Caal Chen, who authorities claim was previously sponsored through the same network before later filing her own sponsorship application under an alias. Carlos Cahuec Coc was arrested days later while allegedly transporting a 16-year-old unaccompanied alien child.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the defendants allegedly exploited a program intended to protect vulnerable children. The case comes as the Trump administration has increased scrutiny of how unaccompanied alien children were released to sponsors during the Biden administration. Homeland Security officials said this week that investigators have located approximately 146,000 children who had previously fallen out of regular government oversight after entering the country as unaccompanied minors.
A 2024 Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General report found that more than 448,000 unaccompanied minors were transferred from DHS custody to HHS between 2019 and 2023. The report stated that roughly 291,000 children were not issued notices to appear in immigration court, while another 32,000 failed to appear for scheduled proceedings.
