Venezuelan, 24, Poses As 16 Year Old, Enrolls At Ohio High School, Joins Swim & Soccer Teams, Gets Arrested

A 24-year-old Venezuelan national was arrested Monday and charged with forgery after authorities determined that he was posing as a 16-year-old high school student who even went as far as joining the school's soccer and swim teams.

Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra's plot to use Temporary Protective Status documents from the U.S. Immigration Department to enter the Perrysburg, Ohio school district worked from January 2024 until last week when authorities received a tip. 

(Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, the man who authorities say is 24 and posed as a 16-year-old to gain access to the Perrysburg, Ohio school system. / via Wood County (OH) Jail)

A woman claiming to be the mother of Labrador's child contacted his current "legal guardian," as the school stated in a press release, to announce that the man was posing as a teenager. The woman reportedly provided police with documentation that Labrador had been lying about his age, including a driver's license that showed his birth date as March 27, 2001. 

The Venezuelan was arrested Monday in a traffic stop. He's now in the Wood County Jail on a $50,000, full cash bond. 

The school confirmed to OutKick that Labrador was a member of the Perrysburg junior varsity soccer team and the swim team. "The school district has reported this situation to OHSAA," the school stated. 

In February, Labrador swam at the northwest Ohio district swim meet where he finished 11th in the boys 50-yard freestyle event and 11th in the 100-yard freestyle. 

How does a 24-year-old Venezuelan pose as a 16-year-old student and go undetected for parts of two school years?

"We are committed to transparency and the safety of all students, and we want to share information regarding a recent incident involving a student who was enrolled under false pretenses. On May 19, 2025, Anthony Labrador was arrested on charges of felony forgery by the Perrysburg Police Department. Labrador had been enrolled at Perrysburg High School under the name and age of a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor on January 11, 2024, in accordance with federal and state requirements for enrolling students experiencing homelessness or without a legal guardian," Perrysburg Superintendent Tom Hosler told parents in an email on Tuesday. 

"During his time enrolled between January 11, 2024 until May 14, 2025, Labrador obtained the following documentation and support, which further complicated the situation:

• Issued an Ohio’s Driver’s License and Social Security number
• Issued federal Temporary Protective Status (TPS) from the US Immigration Department
• Submitted completed application for a VISA with assistance of Advocating Opportunities which provides free legal assistance
• Guardianship granted to a Perrysburg family by Wood County Juvenile Court

"On the evening of May 14, the guardians who had taken responsibility for Labrador contacted the school district to report that they had received information indicating that he was not a minor, but in fact a 24-year-old adult," Hosler continued.

"On May 15, district administrators met with Labrador to address the concern. He denied the allegation and asserted that the birth certificate submitted during his enrollment—which indicates he is currently 17 years old—was accurate. Given the seriousness of the claim, Perrysburg Schools immediately directed the guardians to keep Labrador off school property while the matter was investigated further."

OutKick attempted to reach Advocating Opportunity, which says it is working "to end human trafficking and exploitation through legal and holistic advocacy, but the organization's phone number rang busy on Tuesday.