A Mexican national who illegally entered the United States multiple times was deported after authorities uncovered a scheme in which she allegedly attempted to hand over her newborn baby to another woman in order to pay off a debt owed to human smugglers.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 28-year-old Maria Lidia Valle-Hernandez was removed from the United States on May 11 following an immigration court order. Federal authorities say Valle-Hernandez registered under a false name when she arrived at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, to give birth in January 2024. Investigators later determined she intended to allow another woman, who was also illegally present in the United States, to falsely claim the child as her own.

After leaving the hospital, Valle-Hernandez allegedly handed her identification wristband to the other woman, who then presented herself to hospital staff as the infant’s mother. The scheme unraveled after a concerned individual alerted the Lake Saint Louis Police Department. Local authorities contacted hospital officials, the Missouri Children’s Division, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), launching a joint investigation.

Investigators determined Valle-Hernandez was the child’s biological mother. ICE said she continued making false statements even after being given multiple opportunities to correct the record. Her identity was ultimately confirmed through fingerprint records obtained by federal agents. According to investigators, Valle-Hernandez later admitted her actions were driven by financial hardship and debt owed to smugglers, which authorities said she “hoped to resolve by bringing her other child from Mexico to the United States.”

“Human trafficking and smuggling exist everywhere, even in quiet, low-crime communities such as Lake Saint Louis, Missouri,” said HSI St. Louis Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gregory Paris. “This investigation is a great example of HSI and local police working together to disrupt the smuggling and trafficking networks that profit off the vulnerable.”

Federal records show Valle-Hernandez was apprehended by Border Patrol agents five times near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, in August 2022 after illegally crossing the southern border during the Biden administration. She was returned to Mexico on each occasion, including after being caught twice in a single day.

More recently, Chesterfield police arrested Valle-Hernandez on a charge of fourth-degree domestic assault on April 22. ICE lodged an immigration detainer the following day and took her into custody. The newborn was placed in protective custody through the Missouri Children’s Division. Authorities have not released additional details regarding the child’s current status.