EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso area ports of entry apprehended 22 wanted individuals over the last seven days including a man being sought in Tarrant County, Texas on an outstanding homicide charge. That person entered the U.S. as an imposter.
“CBP officers process thousands of law-abiding people on a daily basis,” said acting CBP El Paso Director Field Operations Ray Provencio. “Fugitives will try to blend into regular traffic however the thorough inspection process employed at our area ports by CBP identities and stops those who are being sought by law enforcement.”
On Sept. 26, a man entered the U.S. from Mexico at the Paso Del Norte border pedestrian crossing and presented CBP officers with a Texas identification card. CBP officers believed the man may be making a false claim of U.S. citizenship and escorted him to the secondary exam area for further processing.
CBP officers conducted a fingerprint scan and determined the individual before them was not the card holder but rather another man being sought in Tarrant County on an outstanding homicide charge. He also had active warrants in Ector County for a probation violation as well as one in Coconino County for failure to appear.
The man, 47-year-old U.S. citizen Jesus Javier Rios was taken into custody and turned over to the El Paso Police Department and booked into the El Paso County jail to await extradition.
In addition to this apprehension CBP officers at area ports apprehended 21 other people with outstanding warrants include individuals being sought for parental kidnapping, assault, robbery and a variety of other charges.