Venezuelan Man Arrested for Sexual Abuse in Virginia, Sparks Immigration Concerns

A Virginia man accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl is identified as an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, who was granted “parole” into the U.S. last year under Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ relaxed border policies.

Renzo Josue Mendoza Montes, 31, stands accused in Campbell County of carnal knowledge of a child aged 13 or 14, without force. This case adds to a series of high-profile crimes attributed to illegal immigrants taking advantage of parole or catch-and-release policies under the Biden administration.

According to James Covington, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an immigration detainer has been lodged against Mendoza with the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority.

Mendoza was initially detected attempting to enter the U.S. in early May but faced expulsion under the Title 42 pandemic policy, pushing him back into Mexico. He attempted entry again on September 2 at an official border crossing, in response to an invitation made by Mayorkas to Venezuelans and citizens of select countries. They were promised parole if they refrained from illegal border crossings.

After receiving an immigration court summons, Mendoza was paroled, with a court appearance scheduled for nearly a year later, approximately 18 months post-entry.

His arrest follows similar cases involving illegal immigrants released under the Biden administration, including a Venezuelan man accused of killing a nursing student in Georgia and two Venezuelan men charged in a mob attack on New York City police officers, linked with a transnational gang.

ICE also confirmed that Nilson Noel Trejo-Granados, accused of murdering a toddler in Maryland, was ordered deported by an immigration judge in 2022 but remained in the U.S. despite defying detainer requests by Montgomery County, Maryland. 

Additionally, the man accused of shooting and wounding three police officers in the District this month, and the suspect who stole a Maryland state tow truck, leading police on a destructive chase, are both illegal immigrants.