Reported / Citable
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 33-year-old Brownsville man has been ordered to federal prison for possession of child pornography.
Jose Jaime Baeza Jr. pleaded guilty Aug. 5, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Baeza to serve 180 months in federal prison at a hearing Sept. 9, to be immediately followed by life on supervised release.
During that time, Baeza will be subject to numerous requirements restricting his access to children and the internet and will be required to register as a sex offender. The court further ordered Baeza to pay $30,000 in restitution to the victims.
On Jan. 17, 2024, Baeza attempted to enter the United States through the Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge with a female child. He claimed she was his sister but did not have the proper documentation to support that statement.
Authorities referred Baeza to secondary inspection after a records check flagged him as a registered sex offender.
Law enforcement located two cell phones and discovered a video of an 8-year-old child engaging in sex acts.
A forensic analysis of one of the phones uncovered approximately 2,177 images and 487 videos of child sexual abuse material.
Baeza will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of Texas — U.S. Department of Justice press release.