Trio convicted of international parental kidnapping for taking toddler to Mexico

A Pullman man, his girlfriend and his father were convicted of international parental kidnapping after the couple fled to Mexico with the Pullman man’s toddler and the father tried to help his son avoid arrest.

Aaron D. Aung and Jaimes T. Aung were found guilty of the federal charge of international parental kidnapping and conspiracy to commit that charge following a bench trial in front of U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice, according to a news release Friday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Eastern Washington. The girlfriend, Nadia E. Cole, pleaded guilty to international parental kidnapping.

“The United States takes very seriously the safety and security of our community’s children,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano said in the release. “Cases involving a missing child are our top priority. Jaimes Aung, Aaron Aung, and Nadia Cole made the dangerous decision to kidnap a child to Mexico in violation of a custody order, demonstrating the lengths they went to willingly circumvent the court process.”

The child’s mother dropped the toddler, Seraya, off with Aaron Aung on May 29, 2024, per their custody agreement, according to court documents. Seraya was supposed to be returned to her mother on June 3.

Following the May 29 exchange, Aaron Aung drove his father’s vehicle to Tacoma, where he met Cole outside a hotel, the release stated. Cole left the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport earlier that day while in line for an international flight. She left her phone and other personal items at the airport and took a taxi to the hotel, where she waited for Aaron Aung.

Cole, therefore, was reported missing, according to previous Spokesman-Review reporting.

Investigators contacted Aaron Aung’s parents in hopes of finding Cole. The parents told police Aaron Aung had taken his daughter to Montana to go fishing with friends. Aaron Aung’s parents reported him and his daughter missing in Flathead County, Montana, when he didn’t return on time from the fishing trip.

When Aaron Aung didn’t show up on June 3 to return his daughter to her mother, the mother reported Seraya missing.

Aaron Aung and Cole traveled to Mexico with the child, crossing the border June 1, 2024, and remained there for weeks, violating the custody order, according to the release. They had no contact with the child’s mother, and law enforcement was unaware of their whereabouts for several weeks.

During that time, Jaimes Aung communicated with his son using coded messaging. They discussed plans, with Jaimes Aung warning Aaron Aung about the ongoing FBI investigation and advising how to avoid law enforcement.

On July 4, Aaron Aung, Cole and Seraya were contacted by Mexican officials, and Cole was deported back to the U.S, according to previous Spokesman-Review reporting.

Three days later, Aaron Aung and his daughter were taken by Mexican officials to the U.S. border in Arizona, where Aaron Aung was detained on a felony warrant for custodial interference. The child was returned to her mother.

“These three defendants stole a child from her lawful parent and then tried to hide her beyond the borders of the United States,” W. Mike Herrington, FBI special agent in charge of the Seattle field office, said in the release. “Despite their efforts to evade the search, a dozen law enforcement agencies from multiple jurisdictions worked relentlessly to bring the missing child home, which they were able to do after just over a month.”

The trio is set to be sentenced in March.

International parental kidnapping is a relatively “unique” charge for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, former U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref said at the time.