More Than 500 People Apprehended At Border

EL PASO, TX -- Over the course of 48 hours last week, more than 500 people were apprehended at the border attempting to illegally enter the U.S. by agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

On June 4 El Paso Station Agents responded to 268 people crossing the Rio Grande illegally just west of Fonseca Street. In a separate incident June 5 agents assigned to the Lordsburg Station apprehended a group of 258 people near the Antelope Wells Port of Entry in the remote New Mexico boot heel. Both large groups were comprised primarily of families and unaccompanied children from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, CBP said.

"While processing illegal aliens in custody Clint Station agents identified a male subject with a criminal record and a conviction for sexual assault," CBP said. "Daniel Sierra Alvarado, a 30-year-old Mexican national had been sentenced to two years by Colorado Department of Youth Corrections for Sexual Assault. He was formally removed from the U.S. after serving the sentence. He was part of a group of nine when apprehended by Border Patrol agents."

Agents assigned to the Santa Teresa Station also arrested a man who was previously convicted for carnal knowledge of a child in Fairfax County, Virginia. The 35-year-old Guatemalan was sentenced in May 2008 and served a 30 month sentence and was formally removed from the U.S. He was entering the U.S. in a group of 16 people when apprehended by Border Patrol agents, CBP said.

El Paso Station agents encountered a 44-year-old Mexican who had served time on a conviction of rape/sex offense against a child. Carlos Rosales Matamoros was convicted in Oklahoma in 1999 to 25 years and served 10. He was formally removed from the U.S., CBP said.

All subjects are currently being held pending criminal proceedings.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection encourages people to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol; calls can remain anonymous: 1-800-635-2509.