A Honduran national with previous convictions for child sex abuse offenses and illegal re-entry into the United States has been taken back into federal custody after authorities say he attempted to evade detection by jumping from a moving freight train near the Texas border.
According to reporting by The Blaze, the Department of Homeland Security said Border Patrol agents assigned to the Uvalde Station were conducting routine train inspection operations when three individuals allegedly jumped from a railcar and fled on foot. Agents apprehended one of the suspects shortly afterward.
Federal officials identified the man as 39-year-old Cristobal Cortes-Cartagena, a Honduran national whose criminal history includes multiple prior convictions and removals from the United States.
Authorities said Cortes-Cartagena was convicted in California in 2010 of lewd and lascivious acts involving a child under the age of 14. He served five years in prison before being deported.
After returning to the United States illegally, he was convicted in federal court in 2017 for illegal re-entry and sentenced to 18 months in prison. California prosecutors also secured a separate conviction for failing to register as a sex offender, resulting in an additional 14-month sentence. Following completion of those sentences, he was deported a second time in 2021.
Following Saturday’s arrest, Cortes-Cartagena has again been placed in federal custody and now faces another charge of illegal re-entry after deportation. Under federal law, the offense carries a maximum prison sentence of up to 20 years in certain circumstances.
Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony “Scott” Good praised the work of the agents involved in the arrest, emphasizing the importance of continued enforcement efforts along the border.
“Constant vigilance by our Border Patrol agents is paramount to keeping our communities safe,” Good said. “Child sex offenders who repeatedly attempt to enter our country pose a serious threat, and we stand ready to answer that threat.”
The arrest highlights the role of Border Patrol train inspection operations in identifying individuals attempting to enter the country unlawfully and apprehending suspects with significant criminal records.
