2 Hondurans indicted for transporting minors across state lines for sexual activity

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A pair of Honduran nationals have been indicted for transporting minor victims across state lines with the intention that the minor victims engage in sexual activity prohibited by the laws of the state of Florida following a joint investigation with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Gainesville.

Fredi Agustin-Vasquez y Guardado, 22, and Marlon Ronaldo Canas Trochez, 26, both of Honduras, face a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to the Agustin-Vasquez indictment, Agustin-Vasquez transported a minor victim in April or May 2024 with the intent that the minor victim engages in conduct constituting lewd and lascivious battery under Florida law. As alleged in the Trochez indictment, Trochez committed the same offense on Sept. 4, 2024.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by HSI Gainesville, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Augusta (South Carolina) Department of Public Safety. The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly S. Milliron.

HSI Tampa’s area of responsibility, which includes 10 geographically strategic offices, covers more than 51,600 square miles of the total 65,757 square miles in the state of Florida. This region has more than 14.2 million people and includes 58 of the 67 counties. HSI Tampa also includes five of the 10 largest cities in Florida, 15 primary commercial service airports, and 11 seaports.

Learn more about HSI Tampa’s mission to increase public safety in Florida communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSITampa.