HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested a 35-year-old male United States citizen from Penitas, Texas who was wanted on a warrant for sexual assault from Waxahachie, Texas.
“This alleged fugitive of the law who had been on the run for almost 15 years was finally apprehended due to our ability to query everyone who seeks to enter the United States at any international border crossing,” said Efrain Solis Jr., Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas. “CBP not only operates at land border crossings but also has jurisdiction at international airports and seaports.”
CBP officers working at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge on Wednesday, June 4 encountered Nicolas Salas arriving from Mexico as a passenger in a Mercury Mountaineer. Initial primary checks revealed that Salas was a possible match to a warrant from Waxahachie, therefore he was secured and escorted to secondary for further verification. In secondary, and with the use of biometric verification through CBP and law enforcement databases, CBP was able to confirm the identity and active warrant on Salas. The outstanding warrant for aggravated sexual assault of a minor, a first-degree felony charge, was issued in October 1999 from the Waxahachie, Texas Police Department. Salas was charged with the felony for having allegedly assaulted a 12-year-old female and had not been located since.
CBP arrested Salas and turned him over to officers from the Hidalgo, Texas Police Department who transported him to the Hidalgo County Jail where he will await extradition procedures.
CBP at Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry is part of the South Texas Campaign, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.