A transgendered illegal immigrant was arrested for sexually assaulting an underage boy in Lee County, Florida, during a house showing earlier this month.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Uriel Santiago Perez, 38, a biological male who presents as a woman, after he allegedly pretended to be an interested homebuyer and showed up to a house in North Fort Myers, Florida.
Santiago Perez is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who gave an address of Cape Coral, Florida, according to jail records. He was booked into Lee County Jail and charged with sexual assault of a victim between the ages of 12 and 18 and operating a motor vehicle without a license.
“To say I am repulsed by the acts of this disgusting individual is an understatement,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement shared on Facebook. “This type of criminal behavior is truly incomprehensible and has no place in our county, especially when you CHOOSE to be here ILLEGALLY.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also lodged an immigration detainer against him. Jail records indicate Santiago Perez was due in court for the traffic violation Monday, Oct. 26 and has an initial hearing Nov. 9 for the sexual battery charge.
“No American child should be a victim of illegal alien crime,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shared on X. “We are doing everything in our power to get these criminals OUT of our country so they can never reoffend in America again.”
TRANSGENDER ILLEGAL ALIEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY SEXUALLY ASSAULTING BOY
No American child should be a victim of illegal alien crime. We are doing everything in our power to get these criminals OUT of our country so they can never reoffend in America again. https://t.co/ziY4TwoUVt
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 15, 2026
Fox News’ Bill Melugin posted on X Santiago Perez is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was previously ignored by the Obama administration when ICE had the opportunity to take him into custody in Georgia over a decade ago.
NEW: Federal law enforcement sources tell @FoxNews that the suspect arrested in Lee County, FL for the alleged sexual assault of an underage boy during a house showing is a transgender illegal alien from Mexico who was previously ignored by the Obama administration when ICE had… pic.twitter.com/sRmz3cQAVW
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 14, 2026
His latest arrest stems from an investigation by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. On Oct. 6, sheriff’s deputies responded to a home regarding the report of a sexual battery.
Upon arrival, deputies met with the homeowner and his son who said he was sexually assaulted by Santiago Perez.
According to various reports, Santiago Perez arrived at the home after texting with the victim’s father regarding the sale of the property.
During the showing, Santiago Perez allegedly isolated the victim in the bathroom and proceeded to sexually abuse him, the Sheriff’s Office said.
According to the police report, Perez exposed his “breasts” to the boy before forcefully performing oral sex on the victim.
Before leaving, Santiago Perez told the boy to meet him at the end of the road. Deputies found the suspect at the exact location where the victim was told to go, Marceno said.
Gulf Coast News reported the sexual assault, however, described Santiago Perez as a woman and did not mention he is an illegal immigrant.
DHS officials said Santiago Perez has a history of prostitution and entered the U.S. at an unknown time and location.
Santiago Perez’s criminal history includes an arrest for felony first degree sexual assault of person 12 years or younger, prostitution, keeping a place of prostitution, falsifying identification documents, shoplifting, and driving without a license, according to DHS.
“When he was arrested for prostitution in 2013, the Obama administration decided not to pursue a detainer against him because he was not considered a ‘priority,’ despite being illegally present and breaking our laws,” according to a DHS spokesperson. “We are urging the Lee County authorities to honor ICE’s detainer and execute a controlled transfer of this illegal alien so that we remove him from our community and send him home to Mexico where he belongs.”
Sheriff Marceno condemned the alleged conduct and praised the Special Victims Unit and responding deputies for their quick response. Marceno called Santiago Perez a “vulgar human being” said the suspect would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
