HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested a 58-year-old man from Florida who had an outstanding arrest warrant from Louisville, Kentucky for child sexual abuse.
“This person, who had been a fugitive of the law for several years, was finally apprehended as he attempted to reenter the U.S. at one of our international bridges,” said Acting Port Director Javier Cantu, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry. “Our ability to check everyone’s identity as they seek to enter our country enables us to detect those individuals who have previous violations and are pending judicial proceedings.”
On Sep. 2, CBP officers working at the Hidalgo International Bridge encountered Vicente Castillo Baez, a legal permanent resident from Haines City, Florida at the pedestrian walkway. During primary inspection, CBP officers discovered that Mr. Castillo Baez was a possible match to an arrest warrant, therefore he was secured and escorted to secondary for further inspection. Utilizing biometric verification through CBP and law enforcement databases, CBP officers confirmed his identity and the validity of the arrest warrant. The arrest warrant was for three counts, sodomy and two counts, sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12, all first-degree felonies.
The warrant was issued in 2009 by the Louisville Metro Police Department for the crimes which allegedly occurred between 2007 and 2008.
CBP OFO arrested Castillo Baez and then released to the custody of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, who transported him to the Hidalgo County Jail, where he will await extradition proceedings to Kentucky.