U.S. Marshals say they have located a Phoenix-area girl reported missing in March and arrested two men in a case that quickly escalated to the federal level. Officials say the child is now in the care of the Phoenix Police Department while investigators sort through what happened.
Authorities identified the men as 32-year-old Miguel Mendez-Vargas and Jose Mendez-Bello, both described as Mexican nationals who were arrested and later turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Investigators say the girl was found at a home where several unknown men were present, and both suspects were booked into the Florence Correctional Center, according to KTAR.
How Marshals located her
Investigators say a multi-agency wanted task force got a tip earlier this month that pointed them to the address and worked closely with Phoenix police to carry out the recovery. The U.S. Marshals Service and local partners have been ramping up focused searches for missing and endangered children in the Valley this year. Earlier this spring, the agency’s Operation Desert Dawn located dozens of missing children, highlighting how federal and local teams combine forces on these cases, as described by the U.S. Marshals Service in a recent release.
Charges and custody
According to the Marshals, Mendez-Vargas resisted arrest, allegedly spitting on deputies after being handcuffed, then running toward them and swinging his arms. Officers used a taser before he was fully restrained. He now faces two federal assault charges, and Homeland Security Investigations is looking into whether he sexually exploited the girl. Authorities released few additional details about Mendez-Bello, as reported by KTAR…