Five men were arrested as part of Operation Protektot Y Famagu'on, or "Defender of Children," an undercover law enforcement initiative conducted in Guam from Aug. 22 to Aug. 27 targeting individuals allegedly seeking unlawful sexual contact with minors online.
The online initiative aims to identify individuals attempting to engage in unlawful sexual activity with minors. The operation resulted in the following five men being arrested:
• Mike Ybanez Balbuena, 44-year-old, a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines
• Eli Valentine, 21-year-old, an active-duty U.S. Navy service member
• Keola Joaquin H. Flores, 30-year-old, a United States citizen
• Peter John San Nicolas, 36-year-old, a United States citizen
• Augusto Bagat Anselmo, 44-year-old, a Lawful Permanent Resident of the U.S. and citizen of the Republic of the Philippines
The operation was a multi-agency collaboration led by Homeland Security Investigations' Guam office and supported by HSI Saipan, HSI Honolulu, HSI Atlanta, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and task force officers from the Guam Police Department, Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency and Guam Airport Police.
A release from the U.S. Department of Justice Attorney's Office for the District of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on Friday, emphasized that the men are "presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," but also noted that, if convicted, each defendant faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment.
"A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors," the release said.
The U.S. Attorney's office will lead the prosecution of the cases for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.