Mexican Woman Deported After Allegedly Trying to Transfer Newborn to Another Individual

Domestic — Lake Saint Louis, MO — reported 2026-06-21

SUMMARY

A Mexican national was deported after allegedly attempting to give her newborn baby to another woman as payment for a debt owed to human smugglers.

KEY FACTS

• Incident type: Domestic
• Location: Lake Saint Louis, MO
• Date reported: 2026-06-21
• Suspect: female, age 28, Hispanic

REPORTED DETAILS

• Maria Lidia Valle-Hernandez, 28, was removed from the United States on May 11 following an immigration court order.
• Valle-Hernandez gave birth at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lake Saint Louis using a false name before delivering the child.
• She intended for another woman, who was also unlawfully present in the United States, to claim the infant as her own.
• Valle-Hernandez allegedly gave the other woman her hospital identification wristband after being discharged from the hospital.
• Federal investigators ultimately determined Valle-Hernandez was the child’s biological mother.