LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Laredo Port of Entry officers detained one male United States citizen wanted for a sexual offense involving a child.
“Child sexual abuse is a serious violation of human well-being and of the law,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “CBP collaborates with other law enforcement agencies to bring alleged offenders to justice.”
The fugitive apprehension occurred on Sunday, October 08, 2023, at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge. A CBP officer inspecting commercial buses arriving from Mexico, referred Santiago J. Martinez, a 73-year-old male United States citizen, for a secondary inspection. After escorting the passenger to secondary, subsequent biometric verification through law enforcement databases confirmed that the subject had a second degree felony charge under Texas state law for indecency with a child out of the Forney Police Department in Forney, Texas. The warrant was confirmed to be active. The subject was turned over to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office to await criminal proceedings.
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is a centralized automated database designed to share information among law enforcement agencies including outstanding warrants for a wide range of offenses. Based on information from NCIC, CBP officers have made previous arrests of individuals wanted for homicide, escape, money laundering, robbery, narcotics distribution, sexual child abuse, fraud, larceny, and military desertion. Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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