Full Breakdown
Los Angeles Woman Pleads Guilty to Staging Fake ICE Kidnapping
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderón, a 42-year-old Mexican national residing in South Los Angeles, entered a plea agreement in Los Angeles federal court to admit one count of conspiracy to impede, obstruct, impair and defeat the lawful function of Homeland Security Investigations. The plea follows a federal investigation that concluded Calderón fabricated a kidnapping by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in June 2025 to solicit donations and generate media attention.
Background & Context
Calderón claimed she was seized by masked agents outside a Jack in the Box restaurant in downtown Los Angeles and taken to San Ysidro, where she alleged she was forced to sign voluntary self-deportation paperwork. Her daughter launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $4,500; the appeal raised only $80 before the platform removed the fundraiser and refunded donors. The alleged incident sparked public outrage amid criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, prompting immigrant-rights groups to call for Calderón’s return.
Official Statements & Responses
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that Calderón and her family were aware law-enforcement searches were underway but failed to disclose her whereabouts, thereby diverting resources. First Assistant U.S. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Calderón faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison.
Data & Statistics
- June 25, 2025: Court documents record Calderón falsely telling an individual that ICE agents were taking her into custody near a fast-food restaurant.
- June 30: Calderón’s attorney told reporters that her client had been taken to San Ysidro and presented with deportation paperwork.
- July 3, 2025: DHS agents began a search for Calderón over the Fourth of July weekend; she was later located in a Bakersfield shopping-plaza parking lot.
- July 6 (scheduled): Calderón had planned another news conference to solicit further donations.
- November 30 (scheduled): Co-defendant Yvette Estrada is set for sentencing.
- Potential sentence: Up to five years in federal prison if the plea is accepted.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Diverting critical law enforcement resources is not only reckless and irresponsible, but it also endangers the community,” — Charge Eddy Wang