ST. LOUIS, Mo. — ICE removed Maria Lidia Valle-Hernandez, a 28-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico who attempted to fraudulently transfer her newborn baby to another illegal immigrant to settle a debt with smugglers, following an immigration court order on May 11.
Valle-Hernandez registered under a false name at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lake Saint Louis before giving birth in January 2024, according to ICE. She intended to allow another woman, also an illegal immigrant, to falsely claim the infant as her own. After discharge, Valle-Hernandez gave the other woman her hospital identification wristband, and the woman then presented herself as the mother to hospital staff.
“Human trafficking and smuggling exist everywhere, even in quiet, low-crime communities such as Lake Saint Louis, Missouri,” said Homeland Security Investigations St. Louis Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gregory Paris. “This investigation is a great example of HSI and local police working together to disrupt the smuggling and trafficking networks that profit off the vulnerable and use false promises to create a magnet for continued smuggling.”
The scheme unraveled when a concerned party reported it to the Lake Saint Louis Police Department. Police contacted the hospital, the Missouri Children’s Division, and HSI St. Louis. Investigators determined Valle-Hernandez was the child’s birth mother. Despite receiving multiple opportunities to correct her statements, she persisted in her false claims until HSI special agents confirmed her identity through fingerprint records. Valle-Hernandez eventually admitted her actions were motivated by financial hardship and a debt to smugglers, which she hoped to resolve by bringing her other child from Mexico to the United States.
U.S. Border Patrol agents caught Valle-Hernandez illegally entering the United States near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, five different times in August 2022, including twice on the same day. She was returned to Mexico each time. Chesterfield police arrested her for fourth-degree domestic assault on April 22, and ICE St. Louis lodged an immigration detainer the following day, taking her into custody.
“We appreciate the collaboration with our federal partners to keep our community safe,” said Lake Saint Louis Police Chief Chris DiGiuseppi. “Educating law enforcement, medical staff and the public on the indicators of human trafficking will ultimately aid in protecting victims and holding suspects accountable.”
The newborn was taken into protective custody by the Missouri Children’s Division. Valle-Hernandez was removed from the United States following the immigration court order.