Migrant escape ends with recapture after alleged assault on border agent in Texas

Two Mexican nationals were recaptured after a brief escape following their detention at the Texas border, where one allegedly tried to strangle a female U.S. border agent, authorities said.

Juan Carmen Padron Mendez, 29, and Juan Carlos Padron Barron, 23, were picked up while attempting to enter the United States illegally and were taken into custody. They were placed in plastic flexicuffs in the back of the border agent’s squad car to be transferred to a holding facility in Houston when the incident unfolded. Prosecutors say that, while the vehicle was stopped at a red light, Mendez unbuckled his seatbelt and wrapped his hands around the agent’s neck and choking her. The two migrants then grabbed their belongings and fled on foot, and a backup team was summoned as they disappeared from view.

The men were later located nearby and taken to a detention facility in Houston, where they were charged with assault, resisting arrest and impeding a federal officer. They remain in custody pending a return court appearance Wednesday. U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei said the Southern District of Texas has zero tolerance for assaults on law enforcement and vowed that the government will pursue federal charges to the fullest extent of the law. “Let it be known: if you lay a hand on an officer, deputy or federal agent, SDTX will do whatever it can to put you in federal prison for as long as the law will allow,” Ganjei said.

Prosecutors said Mendez and Barron face up to 20 years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000 on the assault charges, plus another year and up to $100,000 on the escape.

The episode underscores ongoing enforcement efforts at the U.S.-Mexico border and the risks faced by agents stationed along the frontier. Officials noted that the pair were apprehended shortly after the initial crossing and that agents followed standard procedures for detaining and transporting nondetained individuals to a temporary facility in Houston. The case is being handled in federal court in the Southern District of Texas as part of broader operations to deter violence against law enforcement along the border.

The investigation and prosecution come amid a period of heightened scrutiny of border enforcement policies and procedures. Officials cautioned that assaults on federal officers complicate efforts to manage mass crossings and ensure the safety of both agents and those being processed. Authorities did not indicate any additional charges beyond the initial assault, resisting arrest and impeding a federal officer, or whether the defendants had prior criminal records.

If convicted on the assault counts, the defendants could face substantial prison time and financial penalties in addition to the potential penalties tied to the escape. The case illustrates ongoing legal and logistical challenges at a time when federal agencies have stressed the importance of swift, lawful processing and the protection of personnel guarding U.S. borders.