TUCSON – A previously deported sex offender and a convicted drug dealer were arrested by Border Patrol agents this past week. Marcelino Cruz-Corona and Jorge Ruiz-Gonzalez were arrested in separate incidents along the U.S. Mexico border.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents patrolling near Sasabe arrested the 41-year-old Cruz-Corona after he illegally entered the United States around 9:30 p.m. A check conducted by agents revealed that Cruz-Corona, a citizen of Mexico, was convicted of criminal sexual conduct with minor by Greenville County, South Carolina, in 2009. He was sentenced to five years’ in prison.
Days later, Border Patrol agents patrolling near Cowlic arrested the 50-year-old Mexican national, Ruiz-Gonzalez. Ruiz-Gonzalez was convicted of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute cocaine by Harris County, Texas, in 1996. He was fined $10,000 and sentenced to 46 months’ in prison with 50 months of probation.
Cruz-Corona and Ruiz-Gonzalez are facing federal prosecution for immigration violations, according to
In fiscal year 2019, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents arrested 195 illegal aliens with significant criminal histories. The Border Patrol is often the first line of defense against previously deported criminals attempting to reenter the United States.