Woman pleads guilty to staging fake ICE kidnapping hoax

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 00:07 · Archive

A Los Angeles woman has pleaded guilty to fabricating a kidnapping by immigration agents to solicit donations and build a lawsuit.

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, aged between 41 and 43 according to different sources, pleaded guilty on Monday in Los Angeles federal court to conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers. She had claimed that masked immigration agents abducted her outside a fast-food restaurant in downtown Los Angeles in June 2025, took her to San Ysidro near the Mexican border, and then transferred her to an undisclosed warehouse where she was allegedly abused. Her attorney initially claimed she had been presented with voluntary self-deportation paperwork and punished when she refused to sign.

Federal prosecutors say the entire story was fabricated. According to the US Attorney's Office, Calderon repeatedly used anonymous and blocked phone calls to contact various individuals and spread false claims that federal agents had abducted and detained her at multiple locations. She also altered her appearance to make it appear as though she had been mistreated in custody. The Telegraph reported that her daughter launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $4,500 that described Calderon as the head of a household supporting two teenage children and two adults with disabilities, and mentioned the family was facing eviction. The campaign raised just $80 before GoFundMe removed it and refunded donors.

According to the Office of the US Attorney, Calderon staged the kidnapping to stir media outrage and build a case for a lawsuit against Border Patrol. She is a Mexican national who authorities say was living in the United States illegally.

How it is being reported

• Illegal alien pleads guilty to staging fake kidnapping to target Border PatrolYuriana Julia Pelaez Calderón allegedly fabricated her abduction, altered her appearance and hid in California to build a lawsuit against Border Patrol.Fox News · 26 Oct, 23:40
• Woman who claimed masked ICE agents kidnapped her set to plead guilty to hoaxYuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, a 41-year-old from Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officersIndependent World · 26 Oct, 15:44

In this story: Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon · Immigration and Customs Enforcement · Los Angeles · San Ysidro

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