U.S. Border Patrol agents successfully captured a Mexican national who was previously convicted of child molestation after crossing the border with other illegal immigrants in southern California.

Border agents operating in the San Diego Sector of the U.S./Mexican border discovered three Mexican males hiding in brush not far from the fence near Jacumba Hot Springs, CA and later learned in a records check that a 43-year-old male among them had been previously deported after completing a six-year prison sentence for “Lewd and Lascivious Acts with a Child under 14,” according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. The identities of the whole traveling party were not released at the time of publication, nor did the CBP confirm if any others had criminal records.

“I commend the agents involved in this arrest as their efforts reflect San Diego Sector’s commitment to strengthen border security and increase safety in our community,” Chief Patrol Agent Richard A. Barlow said about the matter.

The CBP disclosed that the convicted felon was moved to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego and will likely face new federal charges for illegal re-entry “as a previously deported foreign national.”

The episode occurring in East County, California was not the only matter involving the sexual abuse of minors by illegal immigrants from America’s southern border this week. Breitbart Texas reported that a Los Zetas drug cartel member, Jose Salvador Puga Quintanilla, received a 35-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal related to his various counts of sexual assault in south Texas:

In the underworld, Puga Quintanilla was known as “El Gordo” (Fatso) or “El Pitufo” (Smurf). Information from sources outside of law enforcement in Mexico revealed that Puga Quintanilla fled Mexico after Miguel Angel “Z-40” Treviño Morales, the top leader of the Los Zetas cartel found out about his betrayal and placed a price on his head. The top Zeta boss placed a $200,000 bounty on the head of Puga Quintanilla. As a result of forensic interviews done by Cameron County investigators on two of the victims, as well as the content of various cell phones tied to the case, authorities learned about the efforts to create an underage prostitution ring. Under the guidance of El Pitufo, the victims themselves had tried to recruit other underage girls in Texas using large cash incentives. The underage girls were the ones that initially made the outcry and filed a formal complaint. That came after Puga Quintanilla had managed to befriend victim’s family even though he had been violating the victims in their own home.

The CBP added that 25,979 illegal immigrants have been captured as of July 31, 2016 in the San Diego Sector, headquartered in Chula Vista, alone.

Logan Churchwell is the Assistant Editor and a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. You can follow him on Twitter @LCChurchwell.