Cartel-Connected Fugitive Texas Border County Official Arrested in Mexico

A cartel-connected Texas border county official who has been on the run since 2013 was arrested in Mexico and is expected to return to Texas this week. There, he will face state child sexual abuse charges.

Mexican authorities arrested Omar Guerrero this week in the beach resort town of Tulum, Quintana Roo, after spending almost 13 years on the run. According to information released by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office and the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office, the arrest was carried out with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Guerrero had been the Hidalgo County District Clerk from 2004 to 2006, but lost his re-election bid after being arrested on drug charges and then going on the run for two months before authorities arrested him in Mexico at the time.

Then, in 2013, authorities arrested him in connection with drug and illegal weapons possession charges. At the time, a judge set bond for Guerrero at more than $1 million. The case sparked considerable local controversy, since Guerrero had already fled to Mexico once. Shortly after posting bond, he regained his freedom as the case proceeded. Then, authorities began an investigation into the sexual abuse of an underage teenager who had been lured to Guerrero’s home in Mission. As authorities investigated the case, Guerrero crossed into the border city of Reynosa, where he then disappeared and spent 13 years on the run prior to his capture.

At the time, various law enforcement sources revealed to Breitbart Texas that Guerrero allegedly had connections to Gulf Cartel figures from Reynosa. During his time on the run, law enforcement received information of Guerrero having been sighted in Reynosa, Monterrey, and most recently in the Mexican Caribbean resort area, where he was ultimately arrested.

The former politician is expected to arrive in Hidalgo County this week in connection with the older charges, as well as the sexual abuse charges.