Thong Lao/Laos/Sexual Assault of a Child

Thong Lao, 44, an illegal alien from Laos, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations St. Paul with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Lao is a convicted sex offender with a felony conviction for second-degree sexual assault of a child, a crime that requires registration as a sex offender under U.S. law. He had been unlawfully residing in the United States following that conviction and was taken into custody during a coordinated federal operation.

Lao’s conviction stemmed from a case involving the sexual abuse of a minor, and he has remained a concern to law enforcement due to the severity of his offense and his continued presence in the country without legal status. After his arrest, ICE placed him into immigration detention and began removal proceedings. His name had been flagged in multiple law enforcement databases, and his criminal background led to high-priority apprehension by federal agents.

Authorities acted on intelligence developed over the course of a joint investigation, and Lao was located and arrested without incident. He is now in ICE custody and is expected to be deported following completion of immigration proceedings.