In a show of diligence, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Laredo Field Office ports of entry apprehended three men within a 24-hour stretch, each wanted on significant felony warrants related to child sex crimes and human smuggling. The first individual, Brian Anthony Rodriguez, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained at Camino Real International Bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, when a routine inspection revealed an outstanding warrant for aggravated sexual assault of a child from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office; he was subsequently handed over to Maverick County Sheriff’s Office deputies, according to a CBP news release.
The same day, Martin de la Fuente, 75, was discovered at the Progreso International Bridge in Texas to have a felony warrant for indecency with a child, this one emanating from Nueces County Sheriff’s Office, and in a twist, officers also found undeclared Xanax pills on de la Fuente’s person, which resulted in a $500 penalty before his transfer to Hidalgo County jail for the criminal charges he faces that are as of yet merely allegations, defendants such as de la Fuente are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Compounding the day's apprehensions, Angel Eduardo Rojas, 18, was stopped at Gateway to the Americas Bridge in Laredo, Texas, where officers identified an outstanding warrant for smuggling and transporting undocumented noncitizens, issued by the U.S. Border Patrol, after which Rojas was handed over to Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents, marking the third find in this series of events that highlight the border security mission CBP officers undertake daily.
The CBP news release outlined that their officers employ biometric identification methods during examinations to confirm identities and ensure that the individuals are indeed the subjects of outstanding felony warrants, with previous arrests ranging from homicide to military desertion being predicated upon information from the National Crime Information Center, a centralized database facilitating the exchange of criminal data among law enforcement agencies. The arrest of these three individuals underscores both the gravity of the charges they face and the unyielding vigilance of CBP officers who Director Field Operations Donald R. Kusser commended for their "resolute vigilance" in safeguarding the community.
For updates and further information, CBP encourages following the Director of CBP's Laredo Field Office on X at @DFOLaredo, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection at @CBPSouthTexas, which offer breaking news, current events, human interest stories and more, in what appears to be a collaborative effort to keep the public informed and involved in the ongoing efforts to patrol and secure the nation's borders.
