LEXINGTON – A man accused in Fayette County of raping a child has now been charged in federal court with illegally reentering the United States after a prior deportation, according to court records filed Tuesday.
Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint Tuesday charging Pablo Mondono-Santiago, a Mexican citizen, with being found in the United States after having previously been removed, a felony offense that carries potentially severe prison penalties if proven.
According to an affidavit filed by a Homeland Security Investigations agent, Mondono-Santiago was encountered by immigration authorities on Dec. 10, 2025, at the Fayette County Detention Center. He had been arrested by Lexington police and jailed on a state charge of first-degree rape involving a victim under the age of 12.
An ICE deportation officer placed an immigration detainer on Mondono-Santiago after his arrest, triggering a review of his fingerprints and immigration history. Federal databases confirmed his identity and showed that he had previously been deported from the United States to Mexico in December 2004 following a formal removal order.
The affidavit states that Mondono-Santiago has no record of receiving permission from federal authorities to return to the United States after that removal. Investigators also cited prior criminal convictions from 2003, including possession of a forged instrument, wanton endangerment, and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
Based on those records, federal agents allege Mondono-Santiago unlawfully reentered the country and was found in Fayette County in violation of federal immigration law. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Kentucky and signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew A. Stinnett.
The federal charge is separate from the pending state rape case. Court records do not indicate when Mondono-Santiago will make his initial appearance on the federal complaint, or how the timing of the immigration case may interact with the prosecution of the state charges.
If convicted of illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction, Mondono-Santiago could face a substantial federal prison sentence in addition to any punishment imposed in state court.
