Tecate, California - Saturday morning, San Diego Sector (SDC) Border Patrol agents arrested a previously deported sex offender who had entered the U.S. illegally.

On January 30 at approximately 10 a.m., agents patrolling west of the Tecate Port of Entry observed a grey Nissan Altima stop in a dirt lot close to the U.S./Mexico International Boundary.  Four men quickly ran to the sedan and got in.  Agents stopped the vehicle and discovered that all four passengers were Mexican nationals illegally present in the U.S.  The Nissan driver was a 25-year-old male U.S. citizen.  The agents arrested all five individuals and transported them to a nearby Border Patrol station.

At the station, record checks revealed that one of the Mexican national men had been convicted in 2006 for Aggravated Kidnapping and Unlawful Restraint.  The man is registered as a Sexual Predator in the Child Sex Offender Information Database of Illinois.  He was sentenced to four years in prison.  The man was subsequently removed to Mexico in 2009.

The 36-year-old registered sex offender will be held in Federal custody pending prosecution for felony illegal reentry after deportation.

The driver of the vehicle was charged with alien smuggling and the Nissan Altima was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.

“The work our agents do, matters not only to communities along the border, but to every city and town in America,” said Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke. “Vigilant agents prevented this dangerous individual from re-entering our communities and I am proud of their dedication.”

In fiscal year 2021, which began on Oct. 1, 2020, SDC’s Border Patrol agents have arrested 19 sex offenders thus far.  During fiscal year 2020, 25 sex offenders were arrested in San Diego Sector.

To prevent illegal entry and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders.  To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.