U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge have apprehended a 71-year-old man wanted for manslaughter. According to officials, Javier Garza, a U.S. citizen, was referred for secondary inspection on September 24 after an initial screening.
During the secondary inspection, CBP officers used biometric verification and federal law enforcement databases to confirm Garza’s identity. They discovered that he was the subject of an outstanding felony arrest warrant for failure to appear on an original charge of manslaughter issued by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. Garza was subsequently turned over to Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies and transported to the county jail for adjudication of the warrant.
Port Director Carlos Rodriguez commented on the incident: “This apprehension of a person wanted for a significant violent offense demonstrates CBP’s commitment to keeping our communities safe. We work diligently to ensure that individuals accused of these kinds of crimes are held accountable and have their day in court.”
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which CBP officers used in this case, is a centralized automated database that shares information among law enforcement agencies about outstanding warrants and other offenses. NCIC data has previously led CBP officers to arrest individuals wanted for various serious crimes, including homicide, escape, money laundering, robbery, narcotics distribution, sexual child abuse, fraud, larceny, and military desertion.
Officials remind the public that criminal charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
CBP describes itself as America’s frontline law enforcement organization with more than 65,000 personnel responsible for protecting the nation on land, air, and sea while enforcing lawful travel and trade.
