Woman admits to faking kidnapping to sue federal agents

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderón, 43, pleaded guilty on Monday to faking her own abduction by federal agents. She faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for one count of conspiracy to obstruct Homeland Security Investigations.

Calderón, who lives in South Los Angeles, entered her plea in the Central District of California. Federal prosecutors said she staged the incident to generate media attention and build evidence for a lawsuit against Border Patrol.

According to court documents, Calderón began the scheme in June 2025. On June 25, she told a contact that immigration officials were taking her into custody near a fast-food restaurant. She claimed the agents threatened to break her window.

Two days later, she used a blocked phone number to call a tenants' rights advocate. She alleged that authorities had taken her to San Ysidro and forced her to sign deportation papers. She also told another person that she was being held in a warehouse with other detainees.

Prosecutors stated that Calderón hid in Bakersfield while community organizers demanded her release based on her false claims. On July 3, 2025, she called another contact using a blocked number. She said she would soon be released due to media coverage.

That same day, Calderón traveled from Bakersfield to Tulare County to stage her release. She approached a local resident about serving as a witness. Officials said she changed her appearance to look mistreated. A co-conspirator took photos of her altered look.

For the next two days, Calderón turned off her phones and ignored calls from law enforcement. She was found hiding in Bakersfield. Her sentencing hearing is set for February 8, 2027.