Woman Charged With Staging Hoax Immigration “Kidnapping,” Blaming ICE Agents

Yuriana Julia “Juli” Pelaez Calderon has been charged with staging a fake “kidnapping” and blaming it on ICE agents to garner sympathy and donations.

In a statement from the Justice Department issued Thursday (July 17), Calderon, 41, is described as an “illegal alien from Mexico” who resides in South Los Angeles. She’s been accused of staging her own kidnapping at a fast food restaurant, where she claims she was abducted by bounty hunters at gunpoint and held hostage in a warehouse in an effort to get her to self-deport. She has officially been charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers.

“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,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The conduct alleged in today’s complaint shows this hoax ‘kidnapping’ was a well-orchestrated conspiracy. The defendant and all those involved will face the full consequences of their conduct under federal law. I thank our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and all federal agents facing unprecedented levels of assaults for once again providing cool heads and professionalism during these difficult times.”

Calderon’s family and attorneys initially held a press conference on June 30, where they claimed armed men ambushed her in two unmarked trucks five days earlier at a Jack in the Box restaurant parking lot in downtown Los Angeles. They then claimed the men took her where “she was presented to [a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] staffer” and “presented with voluntary self-deportation paperwork,” according to officials.

Following media buzz, the family created a GoFundMe, requesting $4,500 and stating that Calderon “was taken by masked men in an unmarked vehicle…when she was on her way to work.” 

The Department of Homeland Security would soon deny these claims, deeming the incident a “hoax.”

“Video surveillance – including video of Calderon leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan – as well as telephone records demonstrate Calderon fabricated the entire story,” the DOJ states.

DHS also confirmed that they do not hire private bounty hunters.

“If convicted of all charges, Calderon would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to five years in federal prison on the false statements charge,” the DOJ confirmed.