Two brothers, recently accused of sexually abusing children for over 15 years, have been living illegally in the U.S., Immigration and Customs Enforcement revealed.

Grand juries indicted Cupertino Juarez-Hernandez, 33, and Benito Juarez-Hernandez, 39, in April and May, respectively, in Washington County, Oregon, following an investigation into alleged criminal activity involving several children. Both brothers are accused of sexually abusing minors for more than 15 years and did not stop until their alleged actions were first reported to law enforcement in 2019.

ICE confirmed to The Daily Caller News Foundation that the two men are Mexican nationals living in the U.S. illegally and both had previous run-ins with the law.

“Cupertino Juarez-Hernandez is a Mexican citizen who is illegally present in the United States. On April 17, 2019, ICE encountered and placed an immigration detainer on Cupertino Juarez-Hernandez at the Washington County Jail,” ICE spokeswoman Tanya Roman said of the younger brother. Roman noted the agency previously encountered Cupertino Juarez-Hernandez at the same jail in April 2016, but he was released before a detainer could be made.

Benito Juarez-Hernandez was already serving time in prison when he was indicted in May. The older brother was convicted of felony sexual abuse in 2014 and sentenced to 75 months in prison, according to ICE. Benito voluntarily left the U.S. in 2009 after ICE located him in a local jail, but he illegally reentered the country again at an undetermined time.

“[Benito Juarez-Hernandez] was previously encountered by ICE in 2009, while being held at the Washington County Jail. Following that encounter, Benito Juarez-Hernandez voluntarily returned to Mexico,” Roman explained. “ICE has no immigration record of his return to the U.S.”

Cupertino Juarez-Hernandez is being held at the Washington County Jail on $5.5 million bail. The 33-year-old faces the following charges: 18 counts of first-degree sodomy, four counts of first-degree sex abuse, four counts of second-degree sodomy and four counts of second-degree sex abuse.

Benito Juarez-Hernandez is already incarcerated at the Oregon State Penitentiary, and the bail for his new charges have been set at $2.75 million. His new charges include: six counts of first-degree sexual abuse, four counts of first-degree sodomy and first-degree unlawful sexual penetration. (RELATED: Six Illegal Immigrants Killed In SUV Crash After Attempting To Outrun Police)

A third individual, Cupertino Juarez-Hernandez’s ex-wife Diana Rodriguez, 36, has also been arrested for her allegedly sexually abusing children.

ICE was unable to confirm if the two brothers had been living unlawfully in the U.S. for the entire 15 years of their alleged child sex abuse activity.

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