In a shocking scandal that some conservatives are blaming on the lax policies of the Biden Administration, a 24-year-old Venezuelan illegal immigrant was arrested after he allegedly enrolled himself in a public high school using forged documents, which allowed him to pose as a 16-year-old for over a year.
For context, according to press accounts, Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, enrolled at Perrysburg High School in Ohio on January 11, 2024, pretending to be a 16-year-old and using false documentation, including a driver’s license, Social Security number, and Temporary Protective Status (TPS), which helped him hide his true identity until his guardians, a local family, told the school that they believed he was an adult man.
According to coverage of the incident from Fox News, Perrysburg Schools stated that in response to Labrador Sierra’s alleged age, leadership had “immediately directed the guardians to keep Labrador off school property while the matter was investigated further.” A school district spokesperson added, “This case involves highly unusual and deceptive circumstances that impacted many local, state, and federal agencies.”
In response to the incident, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) wrote a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on May 21, 2025,, urging them to “launch an investigation immediately into a horrifying situation in Perrysburg, Ohio,” referring to the 24-year-old’s infiltration of Perrysburg High. The senator added, “I ask that you take any and all lawful measures to enforce our federal immigration and criminal laws against an alleged Venezuelan illegal alien.”
Continuing, Sen. Moreno described Anthony Labrador Sierra as being “permitted to enroll in and attend Perrysburg High School, where he was surrounded by minors, seemingly undetected, for nearly a year and a half.” The senator added, “Most concerningly, my office has reason to believe this potential illegal alien may have been engaged with a minor.”
Moving on, Sen. Moreno expressed outrage at the fact that Labrador was able to go on for so long without getting caught, saying, “That a 24-year-old illegal alien adult male was permitted to attend an Ohio high school for nearly a year and a half under allegedly false documentation, including potentially fale immigration documentation, is shocking to say the least.”
In addition, the Ohio senator went on to explain that he had previously called for the revocation of TPS, adding, “However, a federal judge in San Francisco ordered the Department of Homeland Security to continue TPS status for Venezuela. I vehemently disagree with this dangerous decision.” Sen. Moreno went on to say that if Labrador Sierra was granted TPS status, “It is imperative for me to know when they were granted such status and the vetting that was conducted on the arrestee.”
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Furthermore, in a May 21, 2025, X post, the Ohio senator told his constituents about his proposed investigation, saying, “Unreal. Thanks to Joe Biden’s abuse of TPS, a 24-year-old illegal alien was caught on a fake asylum claim pretending to be a teenager at a high school in Ohio.” He added, “Today, I am calling for a full investigation into this scandal and what is being done to keep our children safe.”
Featured image credit: Wood County Jail