U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector apprehended two convicted sex offenders, in two separate locations, July 9.
Brackettville Station agents encountered a group of 12 subjects traversing through local ranches attempting to avoid detection. The subjects admitted to having just illegally entered the United States by crossing the Rio Grande River. During processing, records checks revealed that one subject, a Mexican national, Martin Hernandez-Palma, 49, was previously convicted of forced lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 in California, in 2014, and was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was deported in 2020.
Down the road, Uvalde Border Patrol agents encountered and apprehended a Mexican national, Misael Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 50, near Uvalde. He was transported to the Eagle Pass Soft Sided Facility for processing. Record checks revealed he was previously convicted of sexual abuse of the first degree in Portland, Oregon in 2002 and sentenced to 28 months confinement. Gonzalez-Gonzalez was removed from the U.S. in 2003, and most recently deported in three months ago.
As convicted felons with prior removals, they face charges of 8 USC § 1326 – Re-entry after Deportation, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
During fiscal year 2022, Oct. 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022, Del Rio Sector agents have encountered more than 1,519 criminal migrants.
