TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN 9) — A woman accused in the 2018 abduction of her two young children has been extradited from Mexico to face felony charges in Pima County, according to the U.S. Marshals Service
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, 36-year-old Andrea Vanessa Ramirez was returned to Tucson from Mexico City on Thursday and booked into the Pima County Jail.
Ramirez faces several charges, including three counts of kidnapping, molestation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, child abuse with a firearm, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Missing children found safe six years after alleged kidnapping by parents
Officials say Ramirez and her husband, Luis Alberto Herrera-Ramirez, fled the United States in May 2018 after allegedly assaulting an Arizona Department of Child Safety employee during a supervised visit, then abducting their children, who were in state custody at the time.
The case became a top priority for the U.S. Marshals WANTED Task Force and was designated a Major Case in 2019. After a multi-year investigation involving Mexican federal authorities, INTERPOL, and the U.S. Department of Justice, both suspects were located and arrested in central Mexico in April 2024. The children, then ages 5 and 11, were safely recovered.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family taking action to find kidnapped children, reaching out to community in Mexico
“This extradition represents another significant success in our mission to bring fugitives accused of violent crimes against children to justice,” said Acting U.S. Marshal Van Bayless. “It highlights the strength of our international partnerships and the unwavering commitment of law enforcement on both sides of the border.”
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover also commended the agencies involved, saying the extradition “allows us to further our efforts to get justice for the harm that has occurred. We hope the victims will soon get closure and see that justice is served.”
Herrera-Ramirez was extradited earlier this year and sentenced last week to 387.5 years in prison for multiple crimes involving minors, including sexual exploitation and molestation. He remains in Pima County Jail pending additional trial proceedings on kidnapping charges.
Ramirez will now face prosecution in Pima County following her extradition.
The Arizona WANTED Task Force, led by the U.S. Marshals Service, includes 22 local, state, and federal agencies. The task force was responsible for more than 1,700 arrests in the past year, focusing on locating and arresting the community’s most violent offenders and sexual predators.
