Arizona & Nevada Men Captured in Medellín, Colombia Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor & Grand Theft

In a joint operation conducted by Colombian authorities and the United States’ Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a US citizen, Stephen Paul Mueller, was apprehended in Medellín on charges of commercial sexual exploitation of a minor under 18. This case, and a separate apprehension of a US fugitive, highlight the ongoing efforts of Colombian and international law enforcement to counter transnational crime.

According to a statement from the Policía Nacional de Colombia and Homeland Security Investigations, Mueller was detained upon his arrival in Medellín. He is alleged to have used social media to contact victims, offering them “gifts in exchange for sexual encounters in rented apartments.” A joint investigation revealed evidence of two instances of sexual exploitation involving minors over the last two years. Authorities also identified 33 prior entries into Colombia by Mueller.

¡𝗩𝗔𝗡 𝟭.𝟵𝟵𝟳 𝗣𝗘𝗗𝗢́𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗢𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗦! En Medellín, en desarrollo de la ofensiva contra el multicrimen y el delito, la @PoliciaColombia, en coordinación con la @HSI_HQ de Estados Unidos, capturó al ciudadano estadounidense Sthepen Paul Mueller, por el delito… pic.twitter.com/reY9i2ERA8

— Mayor general Carlos Fernando Triana Beltrán (@DirectorPolicia) September 13, 2025

Major General Carlos Fernando Triana Beltrán, director of the Policía Nacional, stated, “Mueller was captured when traveling to the Antioquia capital, where he would contact victims through social networks, offering them gifts in exchange for sexual encounters in rented apartments.” The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Policía Nacional, HSI-Arizona, Migración Colombia, the SIJIN (Dirección de Investigación Criminal e INTERPOL), and the DIPRO (Dirección de Protección y Servicios Especiales).

Medellín’s mayor, Federico Gutiérrez, affirmed the city’s commitment to combating exploitation. “In the operation, technological material with key information for new actions against ESCNNA was seized. We will continue relentlessly in the defense of our boys and girls, with the support of national and international agencies,” he said. During the operation, a laptop, two USB drives, and a cell phone were confiscated.

In a separate but related development, a US fugitive named ‘M. Peck sought a “million-dollar robbery” in Las Vegas, and other outstanding charges in Miami were located in Medellín. The fugitive was identified through intelligence and surveillance operations.

The apprehension was the result of a coordinated effort involving Migración Colombia, the SIJIN of the Policía, and the US Marshals Service. The individual was located at a hotel in the El Poblado neighborhood. After being expelled from Colombia by Migración Colombia, the fugitive was taken into custody in Miami by the US Marshals.

🗞️#EsNoticia | @MigracionCol expulsó del país a un estadounidense requerido en su país por el delito de hurto. El individuo fue ubicado en un hotel del Poblado, en Medellín, gracias a un operativo conjunto con el CTI, la @PoliciaColombia y la agencia estadounidense US Marshals. pic.twitter.com/lYGgHqi42F

— Migración Colombia (@MigracionCol) September 11, 2025

This marks another instance of international cooperation, following a similar case on August 19, in which another fugitive wanted for homicide was expelled. The director of Migración Colombia expressed via X that the “individual was located…thanks to a joint operation with the CTI (Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación), the Policía Colombia, and the US agency US Marshals.”

Stephen Paul Mueller. Photo credit: Policía Nacional de Colombia.