CBP captures burglary suspects, sex offenders in El Paso

The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) El Paso Sector arrested a wanted burglary suspect, two known sex offenders and recovered a stolen vehicle last week.

CBP agents working at the U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint near Alamogordo, New Mexico, flagged a suspicious looking older-model Pontiac sedan for an inspection on April 3. The driver did not comply and sped away. With assistance from the Otero County Sheriff’s Department, officials deployed a controlled tire deflation device to bring the vehicle to a stop. The driver then exited the car, fled on foot and was quickly apprehended. The two other occupants of the Pontiac were also taken into custody by CBP agents.

The driver, Armando Borja Valdez, is an American citizen and had a nationwide extraditable warrant for arrest for suspected burglary and theft. He was also charged with fleeing law enforcement, assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest and alien smuggling.

Agents also made a series of arrests of known sex offenders near the border. In one incident, Santa Teresa agents apprehended Hector Saravia Guerrero, an El Salvadoran citizen with a previous conviction for sexual assault of a child. Agents at the Columbus Port of Entry apprehended Jesus Gonzales Lopez who had a previous conviction for sexual assault of a child. Both men remain detained and are awaiting pending prosecution and removal proceedings.

An additional incident occurred when agents at the border patrol checkpoint in Desert Haven, Texas, recovered a stolen U-Haul van. Upon further investigation, two individuals were detained by agents, one male and one female. The van was returned and the two suspects were detained.