...
By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Seven out of the top ten "most wanted" illegal immigrants in Texas are suspected of sexually assaulting children, with some victims under the age of 14.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS) updated its list this week, while also confirming it had arrested 24 fugitives this year.
One illegal immigrant, Luis Perez Mendoza from Mexico, has been wanted by cops since the early 2000s for a variety of alleged offenses.
Read More on News
The TDPS is offering cash rewards of up to $5,000 for those who help track down the men on its list.
...
Luis Perez Mendoza
Mendoza, 43, is wanted on a charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact, as well as a probation violation.
According to the TDPS, Mendoza has links to Montgomery County, as well as the city of Conroe.
Since the early 2000s, the Mexican national has been arrested a number of times, including for aggravated burglary, assault causing bodily injury to a family member and making a terrorist threat.
In April 2020, he was convicted of illegal re-entry into the U.S. and removed once more.
After a conviction of interference with public duties and assault of a public servant in Conroe in September 2022, Mendoza was sentenced to three years' probation, with multiple warrants issued for his arrest for indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Fabian Martinez Toribio
Martinez Toribio, 25, also came from Mexico and has links to Travis County. He was first arrested in April 2018 for crossing the border illegally and was later removed.
In October 2023, the Manor Police Department arrested Martinez Toribio for resisting arrest/search and possession of a controlled substance, before he was bonded out of jail.
On January 30, the Austin Police Department said it was looking for him for the aggravated sexual assault of a child. Another warrant out of Travis County from the following month accuses him of possession of a controlled substance.
Francisco Alexis Ventura
Ventura is a 65-year-old from El Salvador with links to Dallas County and the city of Irving.
He was first removed from the U.S. in 1989, but was arrested in Texas in June 2003 for driving while intoxicated.
Irving Police Department arrested Ventura in May 2022 for the continuous sexual abuse of a child, with the victim being under 14. A warrant for his arrest was issued on April 20, 2023.
Octavio Cruz Hernandez
Cruz Hernandez was removed from the U.S. in October 2019, after he was convicted for driving while intoxicated with a child under 15 in Travis County.
The 32-year-old from Mexico returned and was arrested in July 2022 by the Kyle Police Department, for driving while intoxicated.
Then in April 2024, Bastrop County issued a warrant for Cruz Hernandez's arrest, accusing him of the continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.
Jorge Dionicio Hernandez
A 33-year-old Mexican national, Hernandez was convicted of multiple counts of driving while intoxicated in Harris County, including Austin, in 2009. He was removed from the U.S. the same year.
Then in July 2021, Houston Police Department arrested him for using a fake ID.
An arrest warrant has been active for Hernandez since January 2022, with officials in Harris County accusing him of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Salvador Cortez Vasquez
Already removed from the U.S. three times – in 2012, 2013 and 2022 – Cortez Vasquez, 31, has known ties to Liberty County and the city of Cleveland, Texas.
The Salvadoran was arrested in Harris County in Sept. 2021 for solicitation of prostitution, before his third removal in Dec. 2022.
Liberty County issued warrants for his arrest in November 2023, on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and the sexual assault of a child.
Willean Alexander Berrios Ulloa
Berrios Ulloa, 39, is also from El Salvador and also has ties to Travis County. He was first removed from the U.S. in 2006.
Austin police arrested him in May 2021 for the aggravated sexual assault of a child and he was bonded out of jail shortly after.
Multiple arrest warrants have been issued since June 2021 for aggravated sexual assault of a child and burglary of a home with intent to commit another felony.
Who Else Is on Texas' Most Wanted Illegal Immigrant List?
...
The other fugitives on TDPS' list are:
- Omar David Zavala, 30, from Honduras, is wanted on terroristic threat, sexual assault and obstruction charges.
- Oscar Oswaldo Madrid Cartagena, 37, also from Honduras, is wanted on charges of sexual assault
- Gilberto Castro Zubiate, 26, from Mexico, is wanted on smuggling charges.
All are listed as being considered armed and dangerous by authorities.
The cash rewards vary depending on the fugitive, but to be eligible, tipsters must provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:
- Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
- Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about then clicking on the link under their picture.
- Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the "SUBMIT A TIP" link (under the "About" section).
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines