Border Patrol arrests two convicted child sex offenders near San Diego

U.S. Border Patrol agents made two back-to-back arrests last week of illegal immigrants convicted of child sex offenses.

Agents near San Diego arrested an unnamed Mexican national last Monday. He had been convicted in January 2024 of contacting a minor with intent to commit a sex offense.

On Tuesday, agents from the San Clemente Border Patrol Station detained a Guatemalan national convicted of assault and battery as well as molesting a child.

"These arrests are a direct result of the proactive work our agents do every day to identify and remove these predators from our neighborhoods," said Justin De La Torre, San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent.

Agency officials praised the arrests as evidence of the agency's continued effectiveness under new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. They noted that the agency has arrested and removed thousands of criminal immigrants from the country, including gang members, rapists, kidnappers and drug traffickers, to make communities safer.

President Donald Trump appointed Mullin, and the Senate confirmed him last month. In March, Customs and Border Protection apprehended 8,200 illegal immigrants, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority, and the San Diego Sector will actively go after dangerous criminals, especially those guilty of heinous crimes against children," De La Torre said.

Customs and Border Protection officials said the two illegal immigrants are being processed for removal from the United States.