(The Center Square) – The Texas Department of Public Safety launched its first “10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List” to raise awareness about and help law enforcement find repeat offenders who are in the U.S. illegally and are wanted for allegedly committing dangerous crimes in Texas.
Within less than 24 hours of Texas Department of Public Safety announcing its top 10 most wanted list for criminal aliens, one of the men on the list was arrested.
“Texans should not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous,” DPS warns.
“When President Joe Biden took office, he dismantled every effective border policy his predecessor put into place,” Gov. Greg Abbott said when announcing the list. “As a result, we have seen record high levels of illegal immigration, including dangerous criminals and terrorists who are a threat to the public safety of our state and our nation.
“Texas is a law-and-order state, and with the help of our fellow Texans, we will ensure that the illegal immigrants on this list are taken off our streets and put behind bars to keep our communities safe. Texas will continue to take unprecedented action to protect Texans and our state from President Biden’s border crisis.”
The list was launched in cooperation with Texas Crime Stoppers, which is offering cash rewards to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of anyone on it.
“Criminals from around the world who enter the United States illegally and commit crimes in Texas are a threat to public safety,” DPS Director Steve McCraw said. “Individuals on Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List are likely to commit other crimes, and DPS is enlisting the public’s help in apprehending these offenders before they commit additional crimes.”
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities by calling Crime Stoppers’ hotline: 1-800-252-TIPS (8477); submit a tip through the DPS website or through the 10 Most Wanted Facebook tip page.
All tips are anonymous regardless of how they are submitted. All tipsters will be provided with a tip number instead of using a name.
Everyone on the list is an Hispanic male.
A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of each of the top five on the list: Victor Hugo Chox Gonzalez, Luis Perez Mendoza, Servando Trejo Duran, Jr., Francisco Alexis Ventura, and Omar David Zavala.
Gonzalez is wanted on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child by sexual contact, failed to identify give false/fictitious information.
Mendoza is wanted on charges of indecency with a child by sexual conduct and a probation violation for an original offense of assault of a public servant.
Last Thursday night, DPS announced the arrest of Duran Jr., 62, who was taken into custody in Baytown. He was third on the list and DPS offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Ventura is wanted on charges of sex abuse of child continuous, victim under 14.
Zavala is wanted on charges of sexual assault, terroristic threat, obstruction/retaliation.
An award of up to $3,000 is being offered for information leading to the next five on the list: Alexander Berrios Ulloa, Salvador Cortez Vasquez, Jorge Dionicio Hernandez, Oscar Oswaldo Madrid Cartagena, and Gilberto Castro Zubiate.
Ulloa is wanted on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, burglary of habitation with intent to commit another felony.
Vasquez is wanted on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, sexual assault of a child.
Hernandez is wanted on charges of indecency with child by sexual contact.
Cartagena is wanted on charges of sexual assault.
Zubiate is wanted on charges of attempt to commit smuggling of persons for pecuniary benefit.
The list includes a mugshot of each man and their description, including their date of birth height and weight. It also includes the last known addresses for each man: Pantego, Conroe, Baytown, Irving, Spring, Austin, Cleveland, Houston, Marshall, and El Paso, respectively.
