Criminal Illegal Immigrant on Most Wanted List Arrested in Houston

Officials in Texas captured an illegal immigrant Friday, after just a few days on the state’s top 10 most wanted list.
Jose Miguel Zelaya-Ponce, 20, was wanted in Harris County for aggravated sexual assault on a child under 14.
The Honduran had entered the United States illegally in April 2021 and was charged by Customs and Border Protection at the time.
Despite a removal order issued three years later in June 2024, Zelaya-Ponce was released and committed the alleged offence before disappearing.
The fugitive was only added to Texas’ most-wanted list last week, with a reward for $3,000 on offer for information which led to his capture.
However, the arrest on Aug. 23 did not come about from a tip-off, so no reward will be paid out.
“Zelaya-Ponce’s arrest was a result of investigative efforts and a series of leads by Special Agents and Texas Rangers assigned to his case,” Texas Department of Public Safety said in a press release.
Little information was released on the alleged sexual assault the man was accused of.
So far in 2024, TDPS and its partners have arrested 31 offenders who have been listed on the top-10 most wanted list, including 11 sex offenders. In July, seven out of the ten on the list at the time we linked to child sex offences.
TDPS has also captured 10 gang members and four who were criminal illegal immigrants.
Others on the list currently include those suspected of aggravated assault, murder and other child sex offences.
Court records seen by Newsweek showed Zelaya-Ponce was being held on a $150,000 bond. He is next due in court on September 24.
Texas governor Greg Abbott used the arrest as a chance to attack Vice President Kamala Harris on the border.
“That’s one more criminal illegal immigrant off our streets,” Gov. Abbott posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Kamala Harris’ open border agenda let him in. Texas will continue to arrest these dangerous criminals and put them behind bars.”
While Texas has continued to arrest those migrants accused of serious, violent crimes, they are often far less likely to commit these offenses than their American citizen counterparts, data has shown.
Texas has also been taking a tougher stance on immigration and the Governor has been keen to highlight the work of the TDPS to arrest illegal immigrants and hand them over to immigration officials for deportation.
In cases like Zelaya-Ponce’s, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) often step in to begin removal proceedings, especially when removal orders have already been given.
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