Texas Border Business
PROGRESO, Texas– U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Progreso Port of Entry officers apprehended a man wanted in Hidalgo County for an alleged sexual crime involving a child.
“Our frontline CBP officers continue to maintain resolute vigilance and their attention to detail resulted in the apprehension of a man wanted on an outstanding warrant for an alleged sex-related offense involving a child,” said Port Director Michael Martinez, Progreso Port of Entry. “These kinds of apprehensions illustrate our border security mission and reinforce our efforts to help keep our communities safe.”
The fugitive apprehension occurred on Oct. 15, when CBP officers at the Progreso International Bridge referred vehicle driver Richard William Patch, an 83-year-old male U.S. citizen, for secondary inspection. After escorting Patch to secondary inspection, subsequent biometric verification through law enforcement databases confirmed that the subject had an outstanding felony warrant for indecency with a child by sexual contact issued by the Alamo Police Department. Patch was turned over to Alamo police officers for transport to jail and adjudication of the warrant.
The National Crime Information Center is a centralized automated database designed to share information among law enforcement agencies including outstanding warrants for a wide range of offenses. Based on information from NCIC, CBP officers have made previous arrests of individuals wanted for homicide, escape, money laundering, robbery, narcotics distribution, sexual child abuse, fraud, larceny, and military desertion. Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
