Executive Summary
- Michael Inofuentes, 45, of Vienna, Virginia, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor.
- The victim was a 15-year-old girl located in Colombia, solicited by Inofuentes during trips in 2024.
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) utilized financial tracking and border searches of electronic devices to secure evidence.
- The case falls under Project Safe Childhood, targeting U.S. citizens engaging in sex tourism abroad.
A 45-year-old man from Vienna, Virginia, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a minor, following a targeted investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The sentencing of Michael Inofuentes concludes a case involving the exploitation of a 15-year-old girl in Colombia, highlighting the reach of U.S. law enforcement in combating extraterritorial sex crimes.
According to court documents and statements from HSI, Inofuentes solicited and paid the victim for commercial sex acts on at least three separate occasions in 2024. Investigators established that the defendant traveled from the United States to Colombia specifically to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the minor. The case progressed when agents identified suspicious financial transactions linked to Inofuentes, connecting him to known human trafficking indicators abroad.
The investigation utilized strict border enforcement protocols. When Inofuentes returned to the United States from Colombia, HSI agents conducted a secondary inspection at the port of entry. During a forensic search of his electronic devices, agents discovered messages between Inofuentes and the Colombian teenager that corroborated the solicitation and commission of sexual acts.
In an exclusive interview with 7News, Eric Weindorf, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in Washington, D.C., noted that this case reflects a disturbing pattern of “sex tourism.” Weindorf explained that offenders often travel to countries with vulnerable populations to exploit children living in poverty. “These predators go find these victims, and they identify them, and oftentimes offer them money for sexual acts,” Weindorf stated.
It is important to note that while this specific case has resulted in a conviction, all individuals named in related ongoing investigations mentioned by authorities are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
International Judicial Enforcement
This sentencing represents a significant application of extraterritorial statutes allowing the United States to prosecute citizens for crimes against children committed on foreign soil. The successful conviction demonstrates the evolving capabilities of Project Safe Childhood, particularly the integration of financial intelligence with border security operations to identify offenders who believe jurisdictional boundaries offer immunity from prosecution.
