ICE Arrests Previously Deported Sex Offender in Texas

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested Rufino Varela-Flores, a previously deported illegal alien sex offender, in Texas following cooperation with local authorities. Varela-Flores, a Mexican national, was taken into ICE custody on May 27 after the Randall County Sheriff’s Office initially arrested him for public intoxication on May 24.

Varela-Flores has a significant criminal history, including two felony convictions for sex assault and four counts of drug possession. He was deported in 2015 after serving a four-year sentence for the sex assault conviction and admitted to first illegally entering the U.S. in 1994.

Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration, saying, "Thanks to cooperation from state and local partners, this illegal alien sex offender is in ICE custody where he can no longer threaten our communities." Bis added that this case exemplifies how such cooperation enhances national safety.