HOUSTON, Texas — Three illegal aliens from El Salvador were arrested by Houston Police Department investigators after they allegedly attempted to meet up with underage girls. The arrests are part of an ongoing sting operation targeting dating apps, officials stated.
Houston Police Department detectives arrested Abner Ruiz, Carlos Gomez, and Erick Menjivar for online solicitation of a minor earlier this week, according to Fox 26 Houston. The three illegal aliens from El Salvador allegedly used a dating app, Jaumo, to communicate with who they believed were girls ranging in age from 14 to 16 years. One of the men is also facing charges of fleeing in a vehicle and failure to stop and render aid after he crashed into a gate, injuring a pedestrian, the District Court judge said in court.
“Houston police confirm that the three were arrested in separate incidents as part of an ongoing operation,” Fox 26’s Abagail Dye reported. “HPD did not say they are targeting undocumented immigrants.”
Houston Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers who work in the Harris County jail placed immigration detainers on the three Salvadoran nationals. Fox 26 published the following statements from ERO officials:
Carlos Gomez
“Carlos Murcia Gomez is a 33-year-old previously deported criminal alien from El Salvador who illegally entered the United States Oct. 19, 2012. An immigration judge ordered Murcia Gomez removed from the U.S. Feb. 20, 2020, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported him to El Salvador March 2, 2020. On an unknown date, Murcia Gomez illegally reentered the U.S. and wasn’t encountered again by U.S. immigration officials until July 17, 2025, when ICE lodged an immigration detainer on him with the Harris County Jail following his arrest for online solicitation of a minor. In addition to his current criminal charges, Murcia Gomez was convicted of assaulting a family member Aug. 10, 2015.”
Erick Menjivar
“Erick Omar Lara Menjivar is a 30-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador who illegally entered the United States July 25, 2018, near San Ysidro, California. He was arrested the same day by the U.S. Border Patrol and released July 28, 2018, pending disposition of his immigration proceedings. Lara Menjivar’s immigration case was dismissed by an immigration judge Aug. 19, 2024, after the federal government exercised prosecutorial discretion pursuant to the immigration enforcement priorities at the time. ICE lodged an immigration detainer on Lara Menjivar with the Harris County Jail July 18, 2025, following his arrest for online solicitation of a minor.” (Emphasis added by Breitbart)
Abner Ruiz
“Abner Martinez Ruiz is a 37-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador who illegally entered the United States on an unknown date. Martinez Ruiz wasn’t encountered by U.S. immigration officials until July 17, 2025, when ICE officers lodged an immigration detainer on him with the Harris County Jail following his arrest for online solicitation of a minor.”
Officials say that when Gomez arrived at the meetup location, he noticed police approaching and fled in his vehicle. “He’s alleged to have driven off at a high rate of speed, driving recklessly, and running stop signs before striking the closed gate which hit the pedestrian,” the judge said in a probable cause hearing. The cases are assigned to Judge Lance Long of the 183rd Criminal District Court.
As Gomez fled the scene, Houston Crime Stoppers’ Andy Kahn told Fox 26 that Gomez fled the scene and crashed into a gate, causing injury to a pedestrian. Kahn said the pedestrian “now has multiple injuries, bodily injuries, all because Carlos Gomez wanted to have sex with an underage child.”
Court records obtained by Breitbart Texas show that Gomez has prior criminal charges dating back to 2015. These charges include assault of a family member and felony assault for impeding breath.
Court records for Menjivar indicate he as prior charges for disorderly conduct with a firearm and assault on a family member with a previous conviction. He also had a probation violation for a previous assault bodily injury charge.
Ruiz does not appear to have any previous criminal charges in Harris County.
Kahn told Fox 26 the three men used the dating app Juamo to chat with girls they believed to be 14, 16, and 14-years-old. The app allows people to message fellow members without “matching” or consent. “The phone is now a weapon, a tool, an arsenal for offenders like these to get a hold of juvenile victims for sexual offenses,” Kahan cautioned.
In an unrelated case this week, Livingston, Texas, police officers arrested 31-year-old Randy Newman, a Goodrich, Texas, resident, for online solicitation oof a minor, Fox 26 Digital reported. Livingston police officials say Newman drove to Matthews Street to meet up with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Police took him into custody at the scene.
Polk County jail records show Newman was released the following day on a bond of $30,ooo.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
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