EDINBURG, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley Sector arrested a man wanted on a murder charge and several convicted sex offenders over the past weekend.
“Due to the vigilance of RGV Sector Border Patrol agents, these individuals no longer pose a threat to the security of our nation or to the surrounding communities,” said Chief Patrol Agent Kevin W. Oaks. “Despite the fact that agents are being inundated with an influx of illegal immigrants, they continue to arrest criminals and violent gang members.”
The first apprehension occurred Friday when agents assigned to the Falfurrias Station encountered an illegal immigrant on a ranch west of Highway 281 North. During processing, record checks revealed that the man, who is from Guatemala, had an outstanding warrant on a murder charge in Florida. The Brooks County Sheriff's Office assumed custody of the man pending extradition.
The second apprehension took place that same day when McAllen Station agents arrested a man, who is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, near Hidalgo. During processing, agents learned the man served 10 years in prison for rape. Furthermore, the man is a member of the notoriously violent Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, street gang. Since Oct. 1, agents have arrested nearly 70 MS-13 gang members.
Additional arrests include a Salvadoran man who has a prior conviction for sexual assault and a Mexican man with a second-degree murder charge.
So far for fiscal year 2014, agents in RGV Sector have arrested more than 40 people with prior convictions for sex offenses as well as six people with convictions for murder and two individuals with warrants on murder charges.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector is part of the South Texas Campaign, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. To report suspicious activity, call the sector’s toll-free telephone number at 800-863-9382.