THE LONE STAR FUGITIVE TASK FORCE ANNOUNCES THE COMPLETION OF YET ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FUGITIVE ROUND UP

Pearsall – The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force combined resources with numerous state and local agencies in Frio County to go after fugitives charged with state parole violations and other felony charges.

On May 7, 2007, members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force teamed up with the Frio County Sheriff’s Office, the Pearsall Police Department, the Dilley Police Department, the Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety Air Wing, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division, and Deputy United States Marshals from Laredo. This round up was done in an effort to curb some of the gang violence and crimes affecting the communities of Frio County.

Beginning in the pre-dawn hours Monday morning, the law enforcement cadre of approximately 60 officers moved into the small south Texas cities of Pearsall and Dilley and effected the arrest of 16 targeted fugitives. Many of the fugitives arrested on these outstanding warrants (which ranged from parole violations to new narcotics charges) are suspected of gang affiliation or association with the “Mexican Mafia”. An estimated 30 grams of heroin was recovered as well as a large amount of handgun ammunition and spare gun magazines.

United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas LaFayette Collins said, “There was a rumor circulating among those released from the Texas State Prison system that Frio County was a “safe haven” for those wanted on state parole violations and other charges. Today that rumor no longer exists”.