In a significant operation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents apprehended three individuals wanted for sex-related crimes at Texas border crossings. Among the detainees was a man facing charges of predatory sexual assault on a child. This action unfolded over a 24-hour span, illustrating the serious nature of threats encountered at the southern border, CBP officials reported on Thursday.
One of the apprehended individuals, 44-year-old Pedro Garcia Martinez, a Mexican national, was sought in New York on multiple felony charges, including first-degree rape and predatory sexual assault against a child, according to CBP.
Martinez was intercepted at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo while traveling on a southbound bus. CBP officers conducted a secondary inspection on April 30, employing biometric verification and checking federal law enforcement databases to verify his identity and confirm active warrants from Sullivan County, New York, the agency disclosed.
Following his arrest, Garcia Martinez was processed for violating federal immigration laws and subsequently transferred to a detention facility. Officials have placed detainers to ensure his extradition to New York following the conclusion of immigration-related proceedings, CBP stated.
The arrests underscore the ongoing challenges surrounding border security, a hot-button issue in political discourse. Federal authorities continue to focus on identifying and apprehending individuals accused of severe crimes, particularly those involving children, as they attempt to cross the border or navigate through ports of entry.
The arrests come as border security remains a central political issue, with federal officials emphasizing efforts to identify and detain individuals accused of serious crimes, including offenses against children, as they attempt to cross or move through ports of entry.
In a separate arrest the same day, officers at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge stopped Allan Josue Cabrera Maradiaga, 49, a Honduran citizen and southbound bus passenger who was wanted on an active felony warrant for sexual assault out of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, according to CBP.
A third suspect, Jesus Hernandez Resendez, 53, a U.S. citizen, was arrested at the Anzalduas International Bridge after arriving from Mexico as a vehicle driver. CBP said he was wanted in Hidalgo County, Texas, on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Pedro Garcia Martinez, a Mexican citizen wanted in New York on multiple felony sex crime charges involving a child, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at a Texas port of entry on April 30, 2026, authorities said. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
“Put simply, you can run, but you can’t hide,” said Donald R. Kusser, director of field operations for CBP’s Laredo Field Office.
“These are among the most heinous offenses we encounter,” Kusser added.
Allan Josue Cabrera Maradiaga, a Honduran citizen, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at a Texas port of entry on April 30, 2026, on an outstanding sexual assault warrant out of Louisiana, authorities said. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
In a statement, CBP said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is “fulfilling President Donald J. Trump’s mandate” to secure the border and stop dangerous criminals from entering the country.
CBP officers routinely rely on biometric screening and federal databases, including the National Crime Information Center, to identify individuals wanted for crimes such as homicide, sexual abuse, drug trafficking and robbery, the agency said.
The agency noted that criminal charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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