U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Laredo, Texas, made a shocking discovery: A man attempted to gain access to the country after being wanted for nearly 40 years for sexual assault of a child.
40-Year Felon Arrested at Texas Border
On November 12, CBP officers at Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo sent 70-year-old Roberto Gallegos Hernandez to secondary inspection.
It was after biometric verification where they discovered the Mexican citizen had an outstanding warrant for his arrest out of Dallas since 1987. His charges include aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Hernandez was then transported to the Webb County Jail to await trial. Laredo Port Director Alberto Flores had a few things to say after the arrest:
It was a long time coming, nearly 40 years, but CBP officers at Laredo Port of Entry encountered and brought to justice a traveler wanted on longtime outstanding warrant for a sex related offense against a child.
Other Arrests Along Texas Border
The next day, on November 13, Laredo port officers stopped a 21-year-old U.S. citizen after he attempted to gain entry back into the country on a bus.
Police soon discovered that the man, Alexis Gael Gonzalez Torres, had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest out of Statesville, North Carolina for statutory rape of a child.
Biometric Technology in Texas
Border agents were able to identify both of these men thanks to cutting-edge technology. The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is a centralized database accessible across America.
Through the NCIC, wanted persons are able to be identified via biometric verification. Criminal history is then accessed allowing law enforcement to make the proper arrests.
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