Man Who Entered U.S. Illegally Multiple Times Arrested After Child Abduction Conviction in Illinois

Federal immigration agents arrested a 40-year-old man in Illinois after he was convicted of abducting and luring a child, officials said.

Leonardo Ignot-Osto was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while being held at the Scott County Jail. According to ICE, Ignot-Osto illegally entered the United States at least five times beginning in 2005.

Case background

U.S. Border Patrol encountered Ignot-Osto on four occasions in 2005; each time he voluntarily returned to Mexico, officials said. He is believed to have re-entered the country at least one more time prior to his first U.S. criminal conviction.

Illinois prosecutors charged Ignot-Osto on April 15, 2025, with abduction, kidnapping a child and two counts of enticement of a child for indecent purposes. A jury found him guilty on Sept. 18 of child abduction and luring a person under 17; he was sentenced to one year in prison.

Official response and next steps

Emily Covington, ICE assistant director for public affairs, described the arrest as part of the agency’s focus on removing criminal noncitizens. "This is who ICE is arresting in Chicago, a criminal alien that repeatedly entered the U.S. illegally and went to commit heinous crimes against a child," she said. Covington also criticized local policies that she said contributed to the suspect remaining in the community after an earlier conviction.

ICE officials said Ignot-Osto is being held by the agency pending deportation proceedings. Immigration enforcement actions in the Chicago area have continued amid pushback from some local and state officials.