Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the United States Border Patrol Del Rio sector, Juan G. Bernal, announced the arrest of an undocumented immigrant who was apprehended for alleged sexual contact with a minor under the age of 11 on November 18th. The arrestee's criminal history was revealed during processing by Brackettville agents following his attempt to cross the border.
Bernal said, "Brackettville agents arrested a group of undocumented migrants and it was revealed that one of the subjects had criminal history - sexual contact with a minor under the age of 11-years-old. Another great job by our agents keeping bad actors like these away from our families!".
This recent case echoes a similar incident reported in October. In October, Bernal said that Uvalde Agents had arrested a group of undocumented migrants and a records check revealed that one of the subjects was a sex offender previously convicted of two counts of sexual assault. "Great job to our Uvalde agents for keeping criminals like these out of our communities," he said.
These incidents underscore not only the vigilance but also the challenges faced by border patrol officers. The revelation comes on the heels that Del Rio Port of Entry officers recently apprehended a U.S. resident wanted on an outstanding felony warrant for alleged sexual misconduct with a minor, according to a CBP press release.
"Our frontline officers continue to maintain their vigilance and apprehended a man wanted for an alleged sex crime involving a minor," said Port Director Liliana Flores in a statement. "Apprehensions like this one underscore the importance of CBP’s border security mission and our ongoing commitment to uphold that mission and help keep our communities safe and secure."
Moreover, law enforcement databases have proven instrumental in identifying fugitives attempting to cross into US borders. The fugitive apprehension occurred on Nov. 9 at the Del Rio International Bridge, according to the press release. A CBP officer inspecting vehicles arriving from Mexico referred vehicle passenger Benigno Martinez Perez, a 64-year-old male lawful permanent U.S. resident, for a secondary inspection. After escorting the passenger to secondary, subsequent biometric verification through law enforcement databases confirmed that the subject had an outstanding felony warrant for alleged sexual misconduct with a minor, out of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in Spartanburg, South Carolina. According to South Carolina Code, the crime of criminal sexual conduct with a minor is charged as class A, C or E felony which is punishable by a prison term that can range from 15 years up to life in prison. The passenger was turned over to Del Rio Police Department to await criminal proceedings.
