Del Rio, Texas - U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Uvalde Station arrested a convicted sex offender, December 1.

“Aggravated felons, like this one, are a prime example of the dangerous individuals our agents come across on a daily basis,” said Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz. “They often try to conceal themselves in any way possible as they attempt to return to the communities where they committed their crimes.”

Agents apprehended Jose Eduardo Mejia-Diaz, a 29-year-old Mexican national near Uvalde. Records checks revealed that Mejia-Diaz was convicted in 2010 of criminal sexual penetration in the second degree (child 13-16) in Lea County, New Mexico, and sentenced to 15 years confinement. He was deported to Mexico in 2017.

As a convicted felon, he faces a charge of 8 USC § 1326 – re-entry after deportation, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

All individuals apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks utilizing multiple databases including the use of biometrics to ensure those with criminal history are positively identified regardless of their immigration status.