A 34-year-old man out on federal bond for an alleged cocaine trafficking case has vanished after apparently cutting off his court-ordered ankle monitor, and the U.S. Marshals Service is now asking the public for help finding him. Ivan Espinoza-Fruto was last known to be on San Antonio's West Side, and investigators say he has gone completely silent since the device was removed.
The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force confirmed it is searching for Espinoza-Fruto, who is wanted on an active federal arrest warrant for allegedly violating the conditions of his pretrial release, according to KABB. Espinoza-Fruto was arrested in 2025 on a charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, per the same report, and was later released on bond under strict conditions that included wearing an electronic location-monitoring device.
Those conditions appear to have unraveled recently. Federal pretrial services officials received a tamper alert indicating that Espinoza-Fruto's ankle monitor had been removed, the station's report notes, and officers who searched the device's last known location came up empty.
Trail Goes Cold on the West Side
Espinoza-Fruto's last known location was on San Antonio's West Side, but what happened after that remains unclear. Federal authorities say he has stopped communicating with the U.S. Pretrial Services Office entirely, and his whereabouts are now unknown. Authorities attempted to contact him but were unsuccessful, and even his third-party custodian reportedly said he did not know where Espinoza-Fruto had gone.
Investigators are warning that fugitives in similar situations sometimes change their appearance to avoid being recognized, a caution that underscores why the task force is circulating a detailed description. Espinoza-Fruto, who was born in Mexico, is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing approximately 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
What Happens Legally From Here
Under federal law, when a person is charged with violating a condition of release, a judicial officer may issue a warrant for that person's arrest, according to the relevant section of the U.S. Code. That same statute specifies that the person must then be brought before a judicial officer in the district where the arrest was ordered for further proceedings. The statutory language is conditional and does not by itself resolve how Espinoza-Fruto's case will play out.
For now, the case remains an active manhunt. The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force is asking anyone with information on Espinoza-Fruto's whereabouts to call 210-657-8500, and tips can also be submitted through the USMS Tips app.
