CBP News Release

CBP Officers Arrest Suspected Sex Offender in New York

(Sunday, November 02, 2008) contacts for this news release Champlain, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the arrest of a Cuban national wanted in Florida for failure to register as a sex offender.

Earlier today, CBP officers encountered Enrique Ramos, a 42-year-old citizen of Cuba with lawful permission to reside in the United States, as he applied for admission at the Champlain, N.Y., port of entry. Ramos was returning after he attempted to enter Canada on the same day, but was refused admission because was he unable to provide any evidence of his identity or citizenship.

Ramos advised the CBP officer that he has legal permission to be in the United States, but could only produce a Cuban birth certificate. After additional questioning, Ramos was referred to CBP secondary inspection for verification of his immigration status.

During the course of the inspection, Ramos’ fingerprints were electronically queried by CBP officers, which reveled that he was the subject of a no-bond nationwide felony warrant issued in May of 2008 by the Miami-Dade Police Department. The warrant charges Ramos with failure to register as a state sex offender. Ramos was convicted in 1997 on two counts of second degree sexual conduct with a child under 13-years-old, and in 1998 for sexual assault.

CBP officers verified the validity of the warrant and confirmed extradition. Ramos was then arrested and turned over to the custody of the New York State Police pending extradition to Florida.

“This apprehension was the direct result of CBP’s increased use of name inquiries during primary and secondary inspections at land border crossings, as well as CBP officers due diligence in apprehending wanted criminals,â€