Working in partnership with U.S. and Mexican authorities, ICE Homeland Security Investigations officers rescued a three-year-old Alabama child who was abducted by a woman working in conjunction with a deported illegal alien charged with child rape. The child was kidnapped by her mother, Haley Harris, and illegally taken across the southern border to Mexico, where she was found after a 12-day search.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin revealed that the child was rescued after being kidnapped by her mother, Haley Harris, and illegally taken across the southern border to Mexico. According to ICE, agents uncovered ‘disturbing details about Harris’s actions while in possession of the child,’ including her repeated contact with her boyfriend, Pedro Pedraza-Trejo, a previously deported Mexican national with a history of child molestation and rape charges in Washington state.
Local outlet ABC 33/40 reported that the child, Kion, was returned home to Orange Beach, Alabama, after 12 days. Harris had taken the child to Pensacola, Atlanta, San Diego, Tijuana, and Mexico City before being located by authorities. During this period, ICE stated that Harris contacted Pedraza-Trejo 193 times in the span of just a few days. The agency emphasized that Harris’s actions while in possession of the child ‘underscored the gravity of her actions and the danger she posed to the child’s safety.’
Harris was extradited to the U.S. on Sept. 28 and arrested, facing charges for international parental kidnapping. McLaughlin explained that Harris violated international parental kidnapping laws by fleeing to Mexico, while Pedraza-Trejo, who had been deported, faced multiple child sex crimes. McLaughlin praised the coordination between U.S. and Mexican authorities for the successful rescue and arrest of Harris.
Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, also commented on the case, stating it ‘highlights the power of collaboration between U.S. and international law enforcement agencies.’ He emphasized that the swift and decisive actions of agents and partners ensured the child’s safe return and that the responsible individual would face the consequences of her actions.