El Paso County deputies say a 26-year-old man who took off from a traffic stop is now in custody after getting picked up at the Ysleta Port of Entry. Deputies identified the driver as Axel Hernandez and say he was behind the wheel of a gray Nissan Altima that fled a stop on April 4. The pursuit was called off in the interest of public safety, but federal agents later detained Hernandez at the port when he tried to re-enter the United States, allowing deputies to take him into custody.
According to a Facebook reel posted by Sheriff Oscar Ugarte, deputies first stopped the vehicle on the 13100 block of Eastlake Boulevard before the driver hit the gas, shut off his lights, and blew through traffic signals while heading toward Juárez. The sheriff’s post says investigators later traced the vehicle and secured a warrant for evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the post adds, detained the suspect when he tried to return to the country, at which point deputies took over custody.
Port Pickup Highlights Local-Federal Coordination
Ports of entry are a routine place for CBP officers to flag travelers who match outstanding warrants, then call in county or city officers to finish the job. As reported in a prior Ysleta port arrest and in U.S. Customs and Border Protection news releases, agents at the crossing have repeatedly worked with local law enforcement to detain wanted individuals, as per Hoodline. That pattern helps explain how deputies were able to step in after CBP intercepted Hernandez at the port.
Booking and the Alleged Offense
Deputies say Hernandez was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $15,000 bond after the arrest warrant was served. The sheriff’s Facebook reel notes the vehicle involved was a gray Nissan Altima and reiterates that Hernandez fled into Mexico before attempting to return, when CBP detained him and turned him over to county deputies.
What Evading Charges Can Mean in Texas
Under Texas law, using a vehicle to evade arrest or detention is typically at least a state-jail felony and can be bumped up to a more serious felony if someone is hurt or the defendant has prior convictions. The statute that covers the charge, Texas Penal Code § 38.04, spells out the offense levels and the specific circumstances that increase penalties, per Texas statutes.
Sheriff's Message and What Comes Next
“This case highlights the strong coordination between our deputies and our federal partners,” Sheriff Ugarte wrote in the post, crediting the cross-agency work that led to the arrest. Hernandez remains in custody at the county detention facility while local prosecutors review the case and consider any additional charges. Authorities have not yet released future court dates.
