Police arrested a Venezuelan man Monday after he allegedly forged immigration documents to enroll as a teenager at a high school in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, 24, was arraigned Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of forgery, CNN reported.
Labrador enrolled at Perrysburg High School in January 2024; he claimed to be a 16-year-old homeless immigrant trafficked into the country.
With the help of the human trafficking victim program Advocating Opportunity, Labrador had completed his visa application, and he later obtained an Ohio driver’s license and a Social Security number, according to WTVG in Ohio.
Labrador-Sierra is a 24-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela who has been posing as a teenager to attend high school in Ohio.
He was arrested and charged with forgery for using fake documents.
ICE has lodged a detainer to remove him from the community.https://t.co/6tt5VEHif5
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 21, 2025
He also used forged documents to obtain Temporary Protective Status from federal immigration authorities, according to CNN.
Labrador began school, and his assigned host family was ultimately granted a permanent guardianship over him.
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He even competed on the school’s junior varsity soccer team and the swim team, OutKick reported.
But his story began unraveling on May 14, when a woman told his guardian family that Labrador was not a teenager but the 24-year-old father of her son.
After sending them legal documentation and photographic proof of her claims, the family contacted the school district that night.
HOLY SHLIT. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, a 24yo Venezuelan national, was arrested in Ohio after he reportedly posed as a 16yo in order to enroll in school back in January of 2024.
Anthony was in the US under a Temporary Protected Status during Biden’s presidency.
He is… pic.twitter.com/eBcLflPFlc
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 20, 2025
Administrators spoke with Labrador the next day, who denied the allegations.
The school instructed the family to keep Labrador off campus during the investigation that followed, which unveiled more proof that Labrador wasn’t who he claimed.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol told police that Labrador was an overstay whose work visa expired in 2023, the same year he reached out to the school.
Body camera footage showed police arresting Labrador at a traffic stop on Monday.
24-Year-Old Venezuelan Busted for Pretending to Be 16 at School
A 24-year-old Venezuelan man, Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, was arrested in Perrysburg, Ohio, for posing as a 16-year-old high school student. He enrolled at Perrysburg High School using a fake Venezuelan birth… pic.twitter.com/pVCi6MbPyO
— Police Incidents (@PoliceIncident) May 21, 2025
Police took Labrador to Wood County Jail, and his bond was set at $50,000.
His next court date is May 29.
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