Border Patrol arrests previously convicted sex offender
U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro BP station arrested a previously deported sex offender around 3 p.m. on Friday, June 22.
The man has been identified as 45-year-old Francisco Gomez-Cruz.
Agents observed Gomez-Cruz attempting to enter the United States illegally and later discovered that he was a previously convicted sex offender.
The original conviction occurred in 1999 for Annoy/Molest Children. Gomez-Cruz was consequently sentenced to 2 years probation. Gomez-Cruz was also convicted in May of 2005 for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
He was sentenced to 60 days in jail along with 2 years probation.
“This is yet another example of the type of people that our agents are arresting at the border, ensuring that individuals such as this do not endanger our community and our country,” said El Centro Sector Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David S. Kim.
Gomez-Cruz will remain in federal custody pending prosecution for violation of criminal law and is the 24th sex offender arrested by El Centro Sector in the fiscal year of 2018.