Predators on the rise: Border Patrol agents arrest several convicted sex offenders at border

Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents have arrested seven convicted sex offenders just since March 14, including three men apprehended during a span of hours on March 25.

Agents on Thursday at around 8 a.m. arrested a Mexican male who was in America unlawfully in the Del Rio sector. Records checks showed that he had been convicted of sexual assault of two minors in 2014 and sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release, which also noted that the individual had been most recently kicked out of the country in 2017.

Mere hours later on the very same day at around 10:40 a.m., agents assigned to another Del Rio Sector station arrested a big group of people who had breached the U.S. border illegally. Records checks showed that two men within that batch of arrestees had each previously been convicted of sexual offenses.

"The first man was convicted of sexual assault of a child in 2015 and sentenced to five years probation. He was most recently removed from the United States in 2015. The second man was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in 2009 and sentenced to two years probation. He was most recently removed from the United States in 2009," the press release noted. 

"These three predators had convictions for aggravated criminal sexual abuse and sexual assault of minors," Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Austin L. Skero II said. "We continue to see an increase in convicted sex offenders entering the country illegally and I credit our agents and law enforcement partners for quickly identifying them and ensuring that they do not make it into our communities."