Federal authorities arrested a Lubbock, Texas couple during a nationwide FBI-led crackdown targeting child sexual abuse offenders, an operation that has raised questions about the male suspect’s reported ties to the U.S. Air Force and Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
The arrests stem from Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort announced by the Department of Justice on December 19, 2025. The two-week operation involved all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section within DOJ’s Criminal Division, and U.S. attorneys’ offices across the country. According to federal officials, the operation resulted in the identification of more than 205 child victims and the arrest of over 293 alleged offenders nationwide.
Among those arrested were Marcus Xavier Anguiano, 30, and Maddie Rhea Anguiano, 28, both of Lubbock, Texas.
Court and jail records show the Anguianos were taken into custody on December 12, 2025, at their residence located at 7918 Louisville Ave., Lubbock, Texas, on a federal warrant. Both were booked into the Lubbock County jail and later remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to DOJ, the couple is charged with:
- One count of conspiracy to produce and attempt to produce child pornography
- One count of production and attempted production of child pornography
- One count of receipt and distribution of child pornography
Marcus Anguiano is additionally charged with a second count of production and attempted production of child pornography.
If convicted, the Anguianos face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years, with potential maximum sentences of up to 30 years in federal prison on most counts. The receipt charge carries a sentencing range of five to 20 years.
The investigation was handled by the FBI Dallas Field Office (Lubbock Resident Agency) with assistance from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) at Mountain Home Air Force Base, as well as the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Lubbock Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Wolfforth Police Department.
In its press release, DOJ referenced “an airman out of Lubbock, Texas, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM),” language that has been widely repeated in subsequent media coverage and linked to Marcus Anguiano.
However, Lubbock is not located near an active-duty Air Force installation, prompting questions about the nature of Anguiano’s reported service status.
Public records reviewed by The Salty Soldier show that Marcus Anguiano previously resided at on Pearl St. in Mountain Home, Idaho, a location near Mountain Home Air Force Base, suggesting a possible past connection to the installation. At present, no publicly released Air Force records have confirmed whether Anguiano was serving on active duty, was a reservist or guard member, or is a former service member.
AFOSI’s involvement in the investigation indicates a potential military nexus, but federal authorities have not yet clarified whether that involvement was tied to Anguiano’s service status, a prior assignment, or investigative support such as digital forensics.
In addition to the Anguianos, DOJ announced arrests of four other individuals in the Northern District of Texas as part of Operation Relentless Justice, including suspects from Levelland, Abilene, Chicago, and Wolfforth. The charges across these cases range from attempted enticement of a minor to production of child sexual abuse material by a registered sex offender.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the operation demonstrates the government’s commitment to aggressively pursuing offenders who exploit children.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” Bondi said, adding that federal prosecutors will seek severe penalties in these cases.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the operation as part of a broader nationwide push to identify and arrest offenders targeting children online.
The Salty Soldier has contacted the Department of Justice, Mountain Home Air Force Base Public Affairs, and AFOSI seeking clarification regarding Marcus Anguiano’s Air Force service status and the specific nature of AFOSI’s involvement in the case. A Freedom of Information Act request has also been submitted to obtain confirmation-level records.
As of publication, no response has been received.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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