Border patrol officers at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge apprehended a U.S. citizen last week after discovering the man was wanted on felony charges of sexual assault of a child. He was handed over to Laredo Police for processing and adjudication of the warrant.
According to Albert Flores, director of the Laredo Port of Entry, "Our officers are the front line of this nation and take seriously their border security duties. This is the second apprehension in a matter of days of a person wanted for a child-related sex offense. These apprehensions illustrate the important role our officers play in securing our country and our local community as well."
The incident occurred on May 22 when a vehicle and driver were referred for secondary inspection. During that inspection, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers used law enforcement databases and biometric verification to verify the identity of 65-year-old Mario Sanchez and learned he had an outstanding felony warrant for sexual assault of a child, according to the CBP news release on the apprehension.
One of the databases used in this apprehension is the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, which allows law enforcement agencies to share information on a wide range of offenses. This is not the first time that CBP officers have arrested individuals for serious crimes; there have been arrests for homicide, escape, money laundering, robbery, military desertion, and more.
According to the U.S. General Services Administration, there are five ports of entry in the Laredo area: Convent Avenue (Laredo I), Juarez-Lincoln (Laredo II), Colombia (Laredo III), World Trade Bridge (Laredo IV), and a railroad bridge.
U.S. Border Patrol, a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for safeguarding the nation's borders and preventing illegal entry of people and contraband. Established in 1924, it operates in 328 ports of entry and protects 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.
