An Ohio high school discovered that a proclaimed 17-year-old Venezuelan migrant student is actually a 24-year-old illegal immigrant, authorities say.
Police in Perrysburg, Ohio, arrested Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra on Monday for identity fraud, according to a police report obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Police say Labrador Sierra, who is an overstay on an expired work visa and also is allegedly the father of a young child, falsely posed as a minor and successfully enrolled himself in a local high school for more than a year before an investigation uncovered his actual identity. (RELATED: ‘One Step Ahead’: House Republicans Want To Make America’s Borders Even Harder To Illegally Cross)
Labrador Sierra approached Perrysburg Schools in November 2023 and requested to be enrolled as a student, according to police. The Venezuelan national told school officials he was an immigrant from the country, claimed he was homeless and a victim of human trafficking.
After being instructed that he would need to present a birth certificate in order to complete the enrollment process, Labrador Sierra provided Perrysburg Schools a birth certificate from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with a birthdate of Dec. 2, 2007, according to his arrest report.
Booking photo of Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra. Image provided by the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.
The birth certificate proved successful for the Venezuelan — not only was he admitted into the Perrysburg school system by January 2024, he was connected to a local family that accepted him into their home and were granted temporary guardianship of him in May of that year. That family had previously taken in exchange students and adopted other children.
By November 2024, the family that was housing him were granted permanent guardianship and helped him obtain a social security number and an Ohio Driver’s License.
Questions about his true identity didn’t arise until May 14, 2025, when the family was contacted by a woman named Evelyn Camacho.
“Evelyn told the Mefferd’s [the family housing him] that Anthony was actually 24 years old and he was the father of her child,” the police report stated. “Evelyn then sent the Mefferd’s a picture of an Ohio Driver’s License and Social Security card under the name Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra.”
“The driver’s license had a birthdate of March 27, 2001,” the report continued. “Evelyn also sent pictures from Facebook with herself and Anthony and Anthony with a small child.”
A subsequent police investigation uncovered Facebook photos, allegedly of Labrador Sierra, that helped confirm his actual birth date, according to authorities. Police additionally confirmed that the vehicle he owned was registered under his old Ohio Driver’s License.
Border Patrol confirmed to Perrysburg police that, not only was Labrador Sierra born in March 2001, but he was also remaining in the U.S. on an expired work visa and considered to be an overstay in the country. Labrador Sierra’s visa had expired in 2023, the same year he reached out to Perrysburg Schools requesting to enroll as a student, according to police.
The Venezuelan is currently in Wood County Sheriff’s custody under forgery charges and is being held on a $50,000 bond, according to an inmate search. His next court date is due on May 29.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF. However, Border Patrol indicated to Perrysburg police that Labrador Sierra would be subject to an immigration hold.
If taken into federal immigration custody, Labrador Sierra will very likely be targeted removal. More than 151,000 illegal migrants have been arrested and more than 135,000 illegal migrants have been deported in just the first 100 days since President Donald Trump re-entered the White House, according to the administration. Enforcement officials have reiterated that criminal illegal migrants are first on the chopping block for removal.
