Hidalgo, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge apprehended a 37-year-old man who was wanted by another federal agency for kidnapping and narcotics violations.

“CBP Field Operations works with local, state and federal agencies on a myriad of situations and our ability to screen every person attempting to enter the country by land, sea or air, allows us to identify those individuals who have outstanding arrest warrants,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.

A CBP officer escorts a wanted person at a U.S. port of entry
A CBP officer escorts a wanted person at a U.S.
port of entry.

On Jan. 29, 2021, CBP officers at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge encountered Juan Manual Moreno Martinez, a U.S. citizen from Edinburg, Texas arriving from Mexico. Computer checks through CBP and law enforcement databases revealed that Moreno Martinez had an arrest warrant from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on kidnapping for ransom and narcotics charges. Moreno Martinez was taken into custody where biometric verification confirmed the warrant, that was issued in August 2020.   CBP OFO later released Moreno Martinez to the custody of the DEA.

Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.