The U.S. Marshals, operating within the Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force in Jackson, Tennessee, and supported by Homeland Security Investigations, made an early morning arrest today on a previously deported man believed to violate sex offender registration laws. Identified as Jose Alfredo Melendez-Hernandez, 52, this individual has fallen afoul of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) for reportedly failing to register as a sex offender after establishing residence in Gibson County, Tennessee. This follows a history of deportation in 2009 after a sexual battery conviction in Texas, according to information from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).

The USMS in the Western District of Tennessee spearheaded the investigation which revealed not only SORNA violations but also that Melendez-Hernandez had re-entered the United States without permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security, which is a federal offense. He was formally indicted on February 10, in federal court for these offenses. In the course of the operation, the U.S. Marshals Service stated that their concerted efforts led them to a residence on Cades Loop Road in Trenton, where they were met with resistance. Melendez-Hernandez reportedly refused to comply with orders to exit the building, necessitating forced entry by Deputy marshals, and task force officers.

Following the breach, Melendez-Hernandez was located inside, arrested, and eventually transported to the James D. Todd U.S. Courthouse in Jackson for processing. The U.S. Marshals Service stated that the successful arrest was another demonstration of the cooperative enforcement efforts by the Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force, a combined force with a strong record of capturing violent offenders and sexual predators. Since its inception in 2021, the multi-agency initiative has led to the apprehension of around 3,000 individuals fitting such descriptions.

The TRVFTF boasts a diverse membership that includes Deputy U.S. Marshals, sheriff’s deputies from Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Gibson counties; along with Memphis and Jackson police officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. This network of law enforcement professionals operates in offices across Western Tennessee, with a particular focus on Memphis and Jackson as their base of operations. The task force's mission, to remove violent criminals from communities, has led them to become one of the leading agencies in their field, with a strong track record in enforcing laws meant to protect the public from individuals like Melendez-Hernandez.