The United States Attorney’s Office for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands recognized the 2 Filipinos as Mike Ybanez Balbuena, 44, a Philippine resident, and Augusto Bagat Anselmo, 44, a Philippine resident and legal irreversible citizen of the United States.
Both deal with federal charges of tried temptation of a small, which brings a necessary minimum jail sentence of 10 years and an optimum of life jail time upon conviction.
The 3 other offenders are Eli Valentine, 21, an active-duty United States Navy service member; Keola Joaquin H. Flores, 30; and Peter John San Nicolas, 36. Flores and San Nicolas are United States residents.
United States Attorney Shawn N. Anderson revealed the indictments on Sept. 11, 2026 following Operation Protektot Y Famagu’on, or Defender of Children, a six-day undercover operation performed from Aug. 22 to 27.
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The operation targeted people supposedly trying to participate in illegal sexual conduct with minors through online interactions.
The examination was led by Homeland Security Investigations in Guam, with support from HSI workers in Saipan, Honolulu, and Atlanta.
Other getting involved companies consisted of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Guam Police Department, Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, and Guam Airport Police.
Federal district attorneys stated all 5 accuseds were detained on charges of tried temptation of a small under Title 18, Section 2422(b) of the U.S. Code.
If founded guilty, each offender deals with a minimum of 10 years in federal jail, with a possible optimum sentence of life jail time. The United States federal jail system does not offer parole.
The operation was carried out under the Homeland Security Task Force effort developed through Executive Order 14159, which directs federal companies to collaborate efforts versus criminal companies, human trafficking, and criminal offenses including kids.
The Guam job force consists of federal investigative and migration enforcement companies working together with regional authorities, with prosecutions managed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Justice Department did not offer extra information about the accuseds’ supposed online interactions or define the scenarios surrounding each arrest in its statement.
It likewise did not divulge for how long Balbuena and Anselmo had actually been living in Guam or offer info about their work.
Federal authorities stressed that an indictment makes up a claims which all 5 offenders are presumed innocent unless tested guilty beyond a sensible doubt in court.
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