Tarek “Joey” Kadourha, who says he supervised transports for MVM, Inc., a federal contractor that moved unaccompanied alien children for the government, alleges some children were released to sponsors who were not relatives and may have been traffickers.
In Episode 99.3 of Going Rogue with Lara Logan, Tarek “Joey” Kadourha recounts his work at the San Diego Convention Center, which federal officials used as an emergency intake site for up to 1,450 unaccompanied children. A 2026 congressional hearing record also identifies Kadourha as an MVM site supervisor.
Kadourha says he raised concerns with HHS personnel, an onsite White House representative and his supervisor, but alleges those concerns went nowhere. He also says he was not allowed to contact law enforcement.
“I was lied to when I was hired,” Kadourha tells Logan, saying he came to believe he had helped return children to dangerous people.
Kadourha’s allegation that officials knowingly sent children to traffickers has not been independently established by The Dallas Express. The episode does not include a response from MVM or former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to his accusations.
Separate federal reviews have, however, documented serious weaknesses in the sponsor system. An HHS inspector general report found that 16% of sampled 2021 case files lacked documentation showing one or more required sponsor safety checks were conducted. On October 1, HHS said a later review found sponsor fraud contributed to some children being released into unsafe situations, including abuse and, in rare instances, death.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, federal watchdogs have warned that failures to track released children left some vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation or forced labor.
Watch the full episode HERE.
