Officers with Customs and Border Protection captured a woman this weekend who was wanted in North Texas for alleged child sexual assault.
CBP officers arrested Maria Carmean Chavez Barrajas – a 44-year-old American citizen – on June 28 in Laredo, according to a press release. She was wanted in Navarro County, south of Dallas, for continuous sexual abuse of a child.
“Our frontline officers maintain strict vigilance when screening arriving travelers and that mission dedication this time resulted in the apprehension of a woman wanted in connection with a sex crime involving a child,” said Laredo Port Director Alberto Flores in the release.
When Barrajas tried to cross the Gateway to the Americas Bridge in Laredo, CBP officers referred her for a “secondary inspection,” according to the release. Then, “biometric verification through law enforcement databases” confirmed she was wanted by the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office in Corsicana for sexually assaulting a child.
Barrajas was sent to the Webb County Jail in Laredo for “adjudication of the warrant.” Her bond was set at $1 million. According to the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office, the woman’s alleged victim was a child younger than 14 years old.
Leopoldo “Pollo” Barajas is also wanted in Navarro County for alleged indecency with a child by sexual contact, and continuous sex abuse of a child younger than 14 years old. His last known employer was Jack Herod Trucking, located in the small town of Barry, at the last known address for both suspects.
“Apprehensions like these exemplify CBP’s tireless border security work that helps keep our communities safe,” Flores said in the release.