At the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, border patrol agents encountered an unusual case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Laredo's Port of Entry arrested a man wanted for allegedly committing a crime against a child.
On Sunday, officers stopped 70-year-old Mexican citizen Bernardo Vasquez Rodriguez, a passenger on a commercial bus. A routine secondary inspection, designed to strengthen border security against wanted criminals, confirmed Rodriguez's identity and an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was found to have a felony warrant for indecency with a child by sexual contact, a charge that carries a possible prison sentence of up to 20 years in Texas, according to a press release from CBP.
"This apprehension reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities, our children," Port Director Alberto Flores said in a press release. Vasquez Rodriguez was turned over to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office and is currently awaiting legal proceedings. He remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) provides a centralized automated database used by law enforcement to identify individuals with outstanding warrants, including at border checkpoints. The database contains information related to various offenses, including homicide, fraud, and child abuse. A press release from the Laredo Port of Entry stated that law enforcement databases were used for biometric verification, which confirmed the warrants for Vasquez Rodriguez.
