21 arrested in Snohomish County child exploitation operation

Police arrested 21 people in Snohomish County this week following a multi-day operation dubbed “Operation Guardian,” identifying people allegedly involved in the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors.

The operation was spearheaded by the Washington State Patrol’s (WSP), Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF). MECTF oversees multi-agency operations involving local and federal law enforcement to find and help children who have been sexually exploited and apprehend child predators, according to the WSP website.

A total of 30 agencies statewide aided in the operation, including the Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace Police Departments and other county, state and federal partners. The Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will review the 21 cases and determine what charges to file, WSP stated in a press release Wednesday.

The state-funded WSP task force is a Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) affiliate. The group has made nearly 400 arrests since its first operation in 2015 and removed several children from dangerous situations. A common tactic of the task force are “Net Nanny” sting operations — where police often pose as minors or as parents seeking to exploit their children — to apprehend adults using the internet to solicit sexual activity with minors, according to the Washington State Institute for Public Policy.

Law enforcement will investigate the following crimes related to this week’s arrests:

• First- and second-degree attempted rape of a child.
• Commercial sexual abuse of a minor.
• Communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
• Sexual exploitation of a minor.
• Unlawful possession of a firearm.

“Our detectives worked tirelessly with our local and federal partners to identify and arrest those who prey on the most vulnerable in our community,” WSP Chief John Batiste said in the press release. “Protecting children from exploitation is one of the most important responsibilities we have as law enforcement officers, and we will continue to pursue these offenders relentlessly.”

“We are proud to have served as the base of operations for this exceptional team of law enforcement professionals and support staff,” said Edmonds Police Department Assistant Chief Josh McClure. “It has been our privilege to support this operation and the Task Force’s dedicated efforts to prevent child victimization in and around Edmonds. This was an extraordinary demonstration of collaborative, mission-focused public safety.”

Police arrested the following individuals this week:

• Le, Remington, 23, Lake Stevens, WA
• Mejian Perez, Guillermo, 22, Shoreline WA
• Walker, Karl, 60, Mountlake Terrace, WA
• Hansen, Paul, 65, Kirkland, WA
• Luna, Angel, 63, Mountlake Terrace, WA
• Anaya Beltran, Jose, 37, Lynnwood, WA
• Marroquin Herrera, Hector, 31, Lynnwood, WA
• Budhathoki, Ishan, 28, Seattle, WA
• Lara Maddrigales, Carlos, 34, Mountlake Terrace, WA
• Hernandez-Hernandez, Humberto, 38, Lynnwood, WA
• De Paz Perez, Jimy, 24, Burien, WA
• Galvez Quevedo, Hector, 44, Shoreline, WA
• Martinez, Daniel, 52, El Paso, TX
• Yepes Ponce, Antonio, 37, Zapotitlán De Vadillo, Mexico
• Dogbey, Seyram, 32, Ridgeland, MS
• Dale, Nicholas, 30, Lynnwood, WA
• Paningbatan, Hanzel, 38, Everett, WA
• Wade, Dillon, 28, Arlington, WA
• Morales Velasco, Anthony, 28, Glennwood, WA
• Bera, Asim, 56, Seattle WA
• Lopez Sanchez, Benjamin 28, Tacoma, WA

Anyone with information about the suspects or information leading to the identity of victims potentially involved in these cases should contact METCF at [email protected].

Visit the MECTF website for more information.

— Contact Ashley at [email protected].