Illegal alien from Mexico sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for drug trafficking, sexually exploiting teenager
COLUMBUS, Ohio / Wednesday, March 4, 2026 – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 200 months in prison for drug trafficking and child exploitation crimes.
Anicleto Olvera-Sanchez, 35, of Columbus, was the target of a drug trafficking investigation. When law enforcement officers searched his residence, they recovered fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and multiple firearms.
“Olvera-Sanchez committed a smorgasbord of crimes while illegally present in this country, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of those crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “This is the seventh criminal illegal alien to be sentenced, convicted, or charged in this district during the past two months thanks to the fine work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners.”
A search of Olvera-Sanchez’s cell phone revealed evidence that he paid a teenage girl to create and send him sexually explicit videos and images. The defendant continuously requested photos of the minor, often telling her how to pose or what to do in the images. He also asked her to meet with him for sexual acts in exchange for money, but the victim did not comply.
According to court documents, the MEGA app on Olvera-Sanchez’s cell phone contained more than 700 images and six videos of child sexual abuse material. A search of the defendant’s Apple account revealed another approximately 990 images and 270 videos of child pornography.
Olvera-Sanchez pleaded guilty in October 2025 to sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Rausch and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America and Project Safe Childhood. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio
