21 People Arrested in Major Washington State Child Exploitation Crackdown

21 suspects are now under arrest in a multi-agency operation identifying those allegedly involved in the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in Washington State.

What Authorities Found During a Major Child Exploitation Operation

The multi-day operation saw the Washington State Patrol teaming up with over 30 agencies to head up "Operation Guardian," that lead to the arrest of 21 individuals in Snohomish County.

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Here's what was said about the investigation in a press release from the WSP:

“Our detectives worked tirelessly with our local and federal partners to identify and arrest those who prey on the most vulnerable in our community,” said Chief John Batiste of the Washington State Patrol.  “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.”

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The Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the evidence gathered during the operation to determine the appropriate criminal charges for each of the 21 suspects.

The names of the individuals taken into custody during the operation were:

• LE, Remington, 23, Lake Stevens, WA
• MEJIAN PEREZ, Guillermo, 22, Shoreline WA
• WALKER, Karl, 60, Mount Lake 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, Zapotitlan 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

A big thank you goes out to all the agencies that participated in this sting operation. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

WSP is also asking that anyone with information related to the suspects listed, or information leading to the identity of victims potentially involved in these cases, please contact METCF at mectf@wsp.wa.gov.