U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry arrested a 74-year-old man, on two outstanding felony warrants for sexually related offenses involving a child, this past weekend. CBP Newsroom reports that Jose Marroquin Pena, a lawful permanent U.S. resident, was referred to a secondary inspection at Anzalduas International Bridge on Saturday, July 20.
During the secondary inspection, CBP officers used biometric verification and accessed federal databases, which confirmed Marroquin Pena's identity and revealed the warrants for aggravated sexual assault of a child, and indecency with a child issued by Kleburg County Sheriff’s Office in Kingsville, Texas. “Following two apprehensions upriver for similar offenses in the last week, our CBP officers uncovered two outstanding felony warrants against a man for sex offenses involving a child,” Port Director Carlos Rodriguez told CBP Newsroom.
The CBP’s dedication to its border security mission was emphasized by Rodriguez, who highlighted “The heinous nature of the alleged crime and the dedication of our frontline officers to bringing such alleged perpetrators to justice underscore and exemplify the importance of CBP’s border security mission.” Marroquin Pena was subsequently handed over to the authorities from Kleburg County for further legal proceedings.
Criminal charges in these cases are accusations, defendants are presumed innocent unless, or until proven guilty in a court of law. The CBP often utilizes the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which is a central repository of crime data shared amongst law enforcement agencies, encompassing a variety of offenses ranging from homicide to military desertion. For updates on this case and other CBP activities, follow the Director of CBP’s Laredo Field Office on X at @DFOLaredo and U.S. Customs and Border Protection at @CBPSouthTexas.
