BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at the Brownsville B&M International Bridge arrested an ex-Rio Hondo police officer who was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service.   On December 4, 2012 a 30-year-old male United States citizen arrived at the Brownsville-Matamoros International Bridge as a pedestrian and presented his Texas issued driver’s license and U.S.  birth certificate to a CBP officer. Preliminary checks revealed that the individual, later identified as Armando Duenez, was a possible match to an arrest warrant and was referred to secondary for further inspection. In secondary further biometric checks through CBP and law-enforcement databases confirmed that he was an exact match to a warrant from the U.S. Marshals. Duenez had been allegedly involved in unlawful firearms sales and had failed to appear for his judicial proceedings.   CBP arrested the male traveler and released him to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service who transported him to the Willacy County Regional detention center.   “Our officers have assisted in the apprehension of another fugitive of the law and our ability to check everyone seeking entry into our country has allowed us to capture this individual and turn him over to the proper authorities,” said Michael Freeman, Brownsville Port Director.