U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry apprehended a man wanted for felony charges, including an alleged sexual offense involving a child. The incident took place on September 15, when CBP officers at the Eagle Pass International Bridge referred Merlin Martinez, a 46-year-old U.S. citizen, for secondary inspection.
Biometric checks through law enforcement databases revealed that Martinez had two outstanding warrants: one issued by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for indecency with a child by sexual contact and another from Bandera County Sheriff’s Office for possession of marijuana. Following these findings, Martinez was handed over to the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office to await criminal proceedings.
“CBP recognizes the significance of bringing those charged with serious sex crimes to justice,” said Port Director Pete Beattie, Eagle Pass Port of Entry. “We give these types of cases our utmost attention, hoping to give the victim and their family comfort, knowing the alleged attacker is now in custody.”
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) played a key role in confirming Martinez's warrants. The NCIC serves as an automated database that shares information about outstanding warrants among law enforcement agencies across various offenses such as homicide, money laundering, robbery, narcotics distribution, and more. Criminal charges remain allegations until proven in court; all defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty.
CBP states it is the nation's largest law enforcement organization with more than 65,000 personnel responsible for border management and security operations throughout land, air, and sea domains.
For further updates from CBP’s Laredo Field Office or related stories and photos from South Texas operations, follow their official accounts on social media platforms X (@DFOLaredo) and Instagram (@dfolaredo), as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection at @CBPSouthTexas.
