HIDALGO, Texas — Border patrol agents in Texas recently arrested two convicted child predators who were allegedly in the country illegally, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
State troopers contacted the border patrol for help making a traffic stop in Hidalgo. Agents interviewed the occupants of the vehicle and determined both were in the country illegally.
The pair were arrested and during a check of their backgrounds, they found one of them was a registered sex offender. Jorge Gamez-Salas was previously convicted in Dallas County for Indecency with a Child where he was sentenced to two years confinement, records show.
Two days later, agents in the same area arrested Fernando Luna-Mendoza after he also allegedly entered the country illegally. Record checks revealed a previous arrest in Henderson County, southeast of Dallas, where he was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony. He received five years confinement in that case.
Both offenders were reported to be Mexican nationals.
“The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and report suspicious activity at 800-863-9382,” noted border officials. “Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation. The U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector will continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements.”
