STILLWATER, MINNESOTA — A wooden crucifix hanging on a bedroom wall concealed a horrifying secret. Tucked behind a small bottle of holy water, investigators discovered a memory card containing child sexual abuse material involving a young girl whose family had trusted the man now convicted of exploiting her.
The disturbing discovery was only part of what authorities uncovered inside the Minnesota apartment of Alejandro Rojas Garcia, 65, a Mexican national federal officials say was living illegally in the United States.
On October 8, 2026, a federal jury convicted Garcia of attempted production of child pornography following a four-day trial involving allegations that two sisters younger than 13 had been sexually abused.
Investigators discovered hidden cameras throughout his apartment, electronic devices containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and the tiny memory card concealed inside the religious ornament.
The conviction also triggered a blistering political attack from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which singled out Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz and accused the state under his leadership of becoming a hotbed of crime involving illegal immigrants.
Garcia now faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison.
Two young sisters betrayed by trusted family friend
The investigation began in April 2024 after authorities received allegations that Garcia had sexually assaulted two sisters, both younger than 13.
According to federal prosecutors, Garcia was a longtime friend of the victims’ family. The family trusted him to care for the children several days each week.
The girls spent time inside Garcia’s apartment while under his supervision.
One sister told investigators Garcia sexually assaulted her and became violent during an incident in the spring of 2024.
The other sister described repeated sexual assaults that caused her pain, according to federal court documents.
On April 5, 2024, police arrested Garcia and obtained a warrant to search his apartment.
What they found exposed an array of electronic surveillance equipment and disturbing evidence.
Five hidden cameras in bathroom, CSAM inside crucifix
Officers seized numerous cellphones, laptop computers, cameras, flash drives and electronic storage devices.
Investigators discovered cameras secretly positioned throughout the apartment, including five concealed inside the bathroom.
Federal prosecutors said the cameras were aimed at intimate areas, including the toilet, shower and bathtub.
A forensic examination uncovered child sexual abuse material involving one of the sisters, along with material depicting other unidentified children.
Then investigators made an extraordinary discovery.
An electronic-storage detection dog alerted officers to a wooden crucifix hanging on the wall of Garcia’s bedroom.
Inside the crucifix, behind a bottle of holy water, police located a micro-SD card.
The memory card contained child sexual abuse material involving one of the young victims.
During his federal trial, Garcia testified that he did not know about the illegal material discovered on various devices in his apartment.
But when questioned about the memory card concealed inside the crucifix, Garcia acknowledged putting material involving one of the girls onto the card.
He denied producing the material for sexual gratification.
The jury rejected his defense and returned a guilty verdict.
Homeland Security blasts Governor Tim Walz over illegal immigrant crime
The Department of Homeland Security did not limit its announcement to the prosecution of Garcia.
Federal officials also took direct aim at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, sharply criticizing the state’s record on immigration-related crime.
“Under Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota has become a hotbed of illegal alien crime,” DHS declared in its announcement of the conviction.
The accusation placed the governor directly into the political controversy surrounding immigration enforcement and public safety in Minnesota.
DHS identified Garcia as a Mexican citizen unlawfully present in the United States. Officials said he obtained a B-2 visitor visa in January 2002, although the date and location of his subsequent entry into the country were unknown.
The department’s criticism of Walz was sweeping, but the announcement did not identify any specific action by the governor that enabled Garcia’s offenses or establish a direct connection between state policies and the crimes.
Nevertheless, federal officials used the conviction to underscore their broader criticism of immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
DHS secretary vows deportation after prison sentence
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised federal investigators, local authorities and Justice Department prosecutors for bringing Garcia to justice.
Mullin said Garcia would be deported after serving his sentence so that he could not harm another child in the United States.
Garcia faces a mandatory minimum of 180 months in federal prison, with sentencing scheduled for a later date.
He also faces two state counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Washington County, Minnesota, in connection with the allegations involving the young victims.
Those state charges remain pending and must be independently resolved in court.
U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen condemned Garcia after the jury returned its verdict.
“Garcia is a predator,” Rosen said. “A verdict cannot undo the evil he brought on two innocent girls, but it is justice.”
Federal child exploitation investigations continue across Midwest
The prosecution resulted from a joint investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations, the Stillwater Police Department and Washington County Child Protective Services.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Justice Department initiative targeting child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Similar investigations have resulted in significant federal prison sentences across Northern Iowa.
As previously reported by NorthIowaToday.com, a Mason City man was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison after a gun shop burglary investigation exposed crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.
In another case, a Rockford man was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison after investigators uncovered hundreds of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
And federal authorities recently secured a child exploitation conviction involving a Lake Park man after investigators discovered thousands of illicit images and videos.
For Garcia, the federal jury’s decision establishes his guilt on the attempted production charge. His prison sentence has yet to be determined, while separate state proceedings remain unresolved.
The crucifix, the concealed memory card and the hidden cameras now stand as evidence in a case that federal authorities say exposed the abuse of children by a man entrusted with their care.