Three fugitives wanted for sex crimes — including a man accused of predatory sexual assault against a child — were arrested at Texas border crossings in a single 24-hour period, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Thursday, displaying the type of dangerous suspects agents say they are encountering at the southern border.
Among those arrested was Pedro Garcia Martinez, 44, a Mexican citizen wanted in New York on felony warrants including first-degree rape and predatory sexual assault against a child, according to CBP.
CBP officers at Laredo’s Juarez-Lincoln Bridge referred Garcia Martinez, a southbound bus passenger, for secondary inspection April 30. Officers used biometric verification and federal law enforcement databases to confirm his identity and active warrants out of Sullivan County, New York, the agency said.
Garcia Martinez was processed for federal immigration law violations and transported to a detention facility with detainers to ensure extradition to New York after final adjudication of the immigration violations, CBP said.
The arrests come as border security remains a central political issue, with federal officials emphasizing efforts to identify and detain individuals accused of serious crimes, including offenses against children, as they attempt to cross or move through ports of entry.
In a separate arrest the same day, officers at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge stopped Allan Josue Cabrera Maradiaga, 49, a Honduran citizen and southbound bus passenger who was wanted on an active felony warrant for sexual assault out of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, according to CBP.
A third suspect, Jesus Hernandez Resendez, 53, a U.S. citizen, was arrested at the Anzalduas International Bridge after arriving from Mexico as a vehicle driver. CBP said he was wanted in Hidalgo County, Texas, on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
“Put simply, you can run, but you can’t hide,” said Donald R. Kusser, director of field operations for CBP’s Laredo Field Office.
“These are among the most heinous offenses we encounter,” Kusser added.
In a statement, CBP said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is “fulfilling President Donald J. Trump’s mandate” to secure the border and stop dangerous criminals from entering the country.
CBP officers routinely rely on biometric screening and federal databases, including the National Crime Information Center, to identify individuals wanted for crimes such as homicide, sexual abuse, drug trafficking and robbery, the agency said.
The agency noted that criminal charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
