Texas Governor Greg Abbott unveiled a list of the 10 most wanted illegal immigrants in the Lone Star State on Wednesday.
“When President Joe Biden took office, he dismantled every effective border policy his predecessor put into place,” Abbott said in a press release. “As a result, we have seen record high levels of illegal immigration, including dangerous criminals and terrorists who are a threat to the public safety of our state and our nation.”
“These illegal immigrants will now be spotlighted on our 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List,” he continued. “Texas is a law-and-order state, and with the help of our fellow Texans, we will ensure that the illegal immigrants on this list are taken off our streets and put behind bars to keep our communities safe.”
He added: “Texas will continue to take unprecedented action to protect Texans and our state from President Biden’s border crisis.” BIG NEWS: Texas launches our 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List.
Biden’s open border policies allow dangerous criminals into our country.
Texas will get these illegal immigrants off our streets and put them behind bars.
View the list here: https://t.co/MIHrSmbWbd pic.twitter.com/63TiVXYOuJ
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 5, 2024
The 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants list is comprised of felons who are described as “White (Hispanic) Males.”
Four of the men – Victor Hugo Chox Gonzalez, 38; Francisco Alexis Ventura, 65; Willean Alexander Berrios Ulloa, 39; and Salvador Cortez Vasquez, 31 – are wanted for some form of sexual assault against children.
Two other criminals – Luis Perez Mendoza, 43, and Jorge Dionicio Hernandez, 33 – are each wanted for indecency with a child by sexual contact.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) website, Mendoza is affiliated with the Tango Blast gang, which has previously been labeled the most dangerous gang in Texas by DPS.
Two other illegal immigrants on the list are wanted for sexual assault.
“Criminals from around the world who enter the United States illegally and commit crimes in Texas are a threat to public safety,” said DPS Director Steve McCraw. “Individuals on Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List are likely to commit other crimes, and DPS is enlisting the public’s help in apprehending these offenders before they commit additional crimes.”
Tipsters who provide information that leads law enforcement to capturing any of the men on the list could receive cash rewards ranging between $3,000 to $5,000. All tips will be reported anonymously.
The governor’s office warned Texans not to attempt to apprehend the fugitives, who should be considered armed and dangerous.
Since January, Abbott has spoken frequently of Texas’ right to defend itself in the face of a major uptick in illegal immigrant encounters at the Southern Border.
“The federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the States,” Abbott said, shortly after installing more razor wire at Texas' border to deter illegal immigration and drug trafficking. “The Executive Branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting States, including immigration laws on the books right now. President Biden has refused to enforce those laws and has even violated them.”
The Texas governor went on to accuse Biden of “smash[ing] records for illegal immigration” and violating his oath of office.
Abbott’s launching of the 10 Ten Most Wanted list comes on the heels of Biden’s announced new restrictions on the Southern Border on Tuesday.
“The factors that are driving the unprecedented movement of people in our hemisphere remain, and there is still a substantial and elevated level of migration that continues to pose significant operational challenges,” stated Biden.
The president blamed Congress for failing to “update an immigration and asylum system that is simply broken” and argued that his administration “has vigorously enforced the law.”
“The status quo system — the result of outdated laws and inadequate resources — has become a driver for unlawful migration throughout the region and an increasingly lucrative source of income for dangerous transnational criminal organizations and other criminal smuggling organizations that, without countermeasures, will continue to grow in strength and pose significant threats to the safety and security of United States communities and migrants, as well as countries throughout the region,” said Biden in his statement.
Under the new proclamation, illegal immigrants apprehended by border patrol cannot be granted asylum when the border is considered to be overwhelmed.
The new restrictions take effect whenever the number of encounters between ports of entry at the Southern border surpasses 2,500 a day. As the current daily encounter average is greater than 2,500, the restrictions would take immediate effect. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded 128,900 encounters between ports of entry in April.
Hannah Clair Brimelow contributed to this report
