For Immediate Release

Austin, TX – On February 3, 2009 Fernando Martinez, 36, of Kyle, Texas, was arrested in rural Hays County, Texas by members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force with critical assistance from the Hays County SWAT Team. Martinez was charged in the United States District Court in Dallas, Texas with two counts alleging that Martinez possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.

As Task Force officers attempted to call out for Martinez to surrender at his home, Martinez fired a weapon from inside the home towards Task Force officers. Task Force officers contained the perimeter and requested Hays County SWAT assistance. SWAT officers deployed several canisters of gas in an attempt to terminate the four hour stand-off. Martinez attempted to flee the mobile home as SWAT officers engaged Martinez with an impact weapon (less than lethal) and was quickly subdued and taken into custody. Martinez will now face state level attempted capital murder charges and the US Attorney’s Office and FBI Austin will review the matter for possible violation of 18 USC 111, assault of a federal officer.

LaFayette Collins, United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas, states, “The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and the Hays County SWAT Team brought to a successful conclusion, the arrest of Fernando Martinez in Hays County. The collective efforts and cooperative spirit of our law enforcement partners played a pivotal role in no law enforcement officer or member of the pubic getting hurt today”.

Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin are the Austin Police Department – Intelligence Unit, Hays, Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Departments, Texas Rangers, and the U.S. Marshals Service.