Illegal immigrant wanted for rape held
Alamogordo Daily News
By Laura London, Staff Writer
Alamogordo Daily News
Article Launched:12/04/2007 12:00:00 AM MST

Border Patrol agents working at the U.S. Highway 70 checkpoint near Alamogordo caught an illegal immigrant Sunday, who was also wanted in Colorado for sexual assault on a child.

According to a Border Patrol news release Monday, agents encountered the man in a Honda Accord with two passengers. He displayed unusual mannerisms and became irritated, and after continued questioning admitted to being in the country illegally.

The news release said agents arrested the man and processed him through the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. It returned an alert on the man for a possible outstanding warrant out of Colorado for sexual assault on a child, plus a heads up that he had been previously deported from the United States.

The man, whose name was not released, was turned over to the Otero County Sheriff's Department pending extradition, according to the news release.

The other two passengers were released, but the Accord was seized.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection El Paso Sector Public Affairs Office explained the Border Patrol does not release names in such instances when they are not aware of prior convictions.

Demetrio Guerra, U.S. Customs and Border Protection El Paso Sector Public Affairs Office, said the warrant was issued in El Paso County Colo., and advised the sheriff's department there would have more information concerning the man's identity.

Guerra explained the Accord was seized because it had an illegal immigrant inside.

"Most of the time, that is what happens," Guerra said.

He said when agents proceeded to question the three in the Accord, the occupants in the car gave conflicting stories.

The other two, he said, were U.S. citizens and were released.

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