{"id":6822,"date":"2026-07-09T17:01:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T17:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6822"},"modified":"2026-07-09T17:01:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T17:01:23","slug":"deported-child-sex-offender-arrested-in-south-texas-after-jumping-from-freight-train","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6822","title":{"rendered":"Deported child sex offender arrested in South Texas after jumping from freight train"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n article<\/span><\/div>

Cristobal Cortes-Cartagena, 39, from Honduras (Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)<\/span> <\/p>

Read more Mexican national sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for leading San Antonio meth pipeline<\/a><\/p> <\/div><\/div> <\/div>

DEL RIO, Texas<\/strong> – <\/span>U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a convicted child sex offender from Honduras after he jumped from a freight train to evade law enforcement in South Texas, authorities announced Thursday.<\/p>

Border Patrol arrests sex offender<\/h2>

What we know:<\/p>

<\/div>

The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Cristobal Cortes-Cartagena, has been deported from the United States multiple times and has a criminal history that includes sex crimes involving children and failing to register as a sex offender, officials say.<\/p>

On July 4, 2026, during routine security checks at a rail yard, agents assigned to the Uvalde Station were conducting train check operations when they saw three people jump from a railcar and run off.<\/p>

Agents chased the individuals and took them into custody, later identifying Cortes-Cartagena as a Honduran national illegally present in the country.<\/p>

A biometric and background record check conducted by federal agents revealed an extensive criminal history in the United States dating back more than 15 years.<\/p>

Timeline:<\/p>

Cortes-Cartagena was convicted in California for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. He was sentenced to five years in prison and was subsequently deported from the U.S. upon completing his sentence.<\/p>

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He returned to the U.S. illegally and was arrested for reentry of a deported alien, resulting in an 18-month federal prison sentence.<\/p>

Following his federal prison term, the state of California prosecuted him for failing to register as a sex offender, a charge for which he served 14 months behind bars.<\/p>

Cortes-Cartagena was deported from the United States for a second time in 2021.<\/p>

What’s next:<\/p>

As a previously deported convicted felon, Cortes-Cartagena now faces federal prosecution for reentry after deportation. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.<\/p>

In a statement following the arrest, Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony “Scott” Good credited the proactive work of the agents on the ground.<\/p>

“Constant vigilance by our Border Patrol agents is paramount to keeping our communities safe,” Good said. “Child sex offenders who repeatedly attempt to enter our country pose a serious threat, and we stand ready to answer that threat.”<\/p>

Read more Texas Powerball ticket wins $1 million: Winning numbers, where it was sold<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a convicted child sex offender from Honduras after he jumped from a freight train to evade law enforcement in South Texas, authorities announced Thursday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,14,12,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-immigration","category-texas","category-u-s-border-security"],"yoast_head":"\nDeported child sex offender arrested in South Texas after jumping from freight train - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=6822\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Deported child sex offender arrested in South Texas after jumping from freight train - 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