DESERT HAVEN, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol Agents working in El Paso Sector arrested a previously-deported felon near an immigration checkpoint within the United States.
On Friday, September 6, 2019, agents assigned to Ysleta Border Patrol Station spotted two vehicles attempting to circumvent the immigration checkpoint located at Highway 62/180. After a brief pursuit, Ysleta Station agents stopped both vehicles in order to perform immigration inspections. Seven subjects from both vehicles attempted to flee and six were eventually taken into custody.
During processing at Ysleta Border Patrol Station, agents identified 43-year-old Mario Aristides Rivas-Marquez, a Salvadorian national, as a previously deported felon. Rivas-Marquez had been charged with multiple related sex offenses against a victim less than 13 years old and was convicted of five counts of indecent liberties. Sentenced to 50 years in prison, Rivas-Marquez was granted a 48-year suspended sentence under stipulation that he never return to the United States, or he would immediately be returned to prison to serve the remaining 48 years of his sentence. Rivas Marquez is currently in custody pending criminal prosecution for 8 USC 1326 (re-entry after removal) and other criminal proceedings.
“U.S. Border Patrol agents at our immigration checkpoints are making a difference every day in keeping our communities safe. On a regular basis, our skilled agents make arrests of illegal aliens with criminal records in the United States.” said Gloria Chavez, Interim Chief for the Border Patrol’s El Paso Sector. “In this case, a violent child predator was apprehended by Border Patrol agents before he could commit further acts against innocent children again.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, while remaining anonymous by calling 1-800-635-2509 toll-free.
It is important to note that an arrest should not be considered evidence of guilt, and subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.