Border Patrol agents apprehended a previously deported Mexican man who was caught re-entering the U.S. illegally Monday night, according to a statement released late Tuesday from the agency.
The 28-year-old suspect was arrested in Potrero, a small town southeast of San Diego, Calif. Following a background check of the man, officials discovered he had been sentenced to three years in prison for a 2011 rape conviction out of Santa Rosa, Calif.
“Our Border Patrol agents did a great service to our communities by preventing this previously convicted felon from entering the United States,” Chief Patrol Agent Richard Barlow said.
The Department of Homeland Security is holding the unnamed suspect who faces federal criminal charges for attempting to re-enter the country.
San Diego Border Patrol agents cited having caught 14,449 individuals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally over the past six months.
