U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested two previously deported sex offenders in separate encounters, one of whom had been arrested in Ballinger, Texas, according to a news release from the agency.

On Monday, May 27, 2019 Border Patrol agents from the Comstock Station on Highway 90 northwest of Del Rio arrested Fernando Gutierrez-Torres, 34, of Mexico, after he allegedly entered the United States illegally, the release states.

In 2011, Gutierrez-Torres was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in Ballinger, records state. He was sentenced to 120 days confinement for the offence and removed from the United States.

On May 23, agents from the Eagle Pass South Station arrested 31-year-old Reyes Arroyo-Valencia, of Mexico, after illegally entering the United States, according to the release.

A records check by Border Patrol agents revealed Arroyo-Valencia was convicted in Dallas in 2005 for aggravated sexual assault of a child, records state.

Arroyo-Valencia was sentenced to 12 years confinement and was removed from the United States, according to the news release.

Both men face a charge of illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation, which carries a maximum sentence up to 20 years in prison, the release states.

“I am proud of our agents for enforcing this country’s laws and preventing these dangerous criminals from entering our communities," said Del Rio Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Randy Davis.

"All individuals arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol undergo records checks using biometrics to ensure those with criminal history or gang affiliation are positively identified," the release states.

The Del Rio Border Patrol Sector is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state, and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.

To report suspicious activity call the Del Rio Sector’s toll free number at 1-866-511-8727

John Tufts is a journalist covering crime in West Texas. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Consider supporting West Texas journalism with a subscription to GoSanAngelo.com.