U.S. Border Patrol agents arrest child sex offender illegally in U.S.

DEL RIO, Texas - U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector arrested a Honduran man with previous convictions for sex crimes involving children, failure to register as a sex offender, and reentry after deportation.

On July 4, agents assigned to the Uvalde Station were conducting train check operations when three individuals jumped from a railcar and fled. One of the individuals was later identified as Cristobal Cortes-Cartagena, 39, an illegal alien from Honduras.

Record checks revealed Cortes-Cartagena was convicted in 2010 in California for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. He was sentenced to five years incarceration and was removed from the United States after serving his prison term. In 2017, Cortes-Cartagena was arrested for reentry of a deported alien and was sentenced to 18 months federal prison time. Following that, the state of California charged him with failure to register as a sex offender, for which he served 14 months. Cortes-Cartagena was deported again in 2021.

As a convicted felon, Cortes-Cartagena faces a charge pursuant to 8 USC § 1326 for reentry after deportation, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

"Constant vigilance by our Border Patrol agents is paramount to keeping our communities safe," said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony "Scott" Good. "Child sex offenders who repeatedly attempt to enter our country pose a serious threat and we stand ready to answer that threat."

Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the dedicated men and women of CBP, alongside our law enforcement partners, have arrested and removed thousands of criminal aliens from the country - including gang members, rapists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers - to make our communities safer.

DHS has shut down illegal border crossings and restored the rule of law, protecting America for generations to come. We are no longer allowing dangerous, criminal illegal aliens to pour into our country and terrorize our communities.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 70,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We enforce safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.

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