Convicted sex offender among 5 migrants Border Patrol arrested in southern Arizona

PHOENIX — A registered sex offender was arrested by Border Patrol officials over the weekend in south Arizona, according to authorities.

Gerardo Suruy-Xiquin, who is from Guatemala, was found walking through the desert with a group of four undocumented migrants near Sasabe on Saturday, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Sasabe is an Arizona town that sits near the U.S.-Mexico border.

How did Arizona Border Patrol agents arrest a sex offender?

Border Patrol agents assigned to the Tucson Station used surveillance technology to locate the five migrants.

They arrested Suruy-Xiquin as well as three women and a man from Mexico. They were trying to enter the U.S. illegally, CBP said.

While conducting background checks on the migrants, Border Patrol agents found that Suruy-Xiquin was a registered sex offender.

He had been convicted of multiple counts of committing sexual battery against a child under 12 years old in 2023, CBP said. This case led to a two-year jail sentence.

Currently, Suruy-Xiquin is being held at the Tucson Coordination Center and will face charges for illegal reentry into the U.S.

The other migrants will be charged for entry without inspection.

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