U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a Cuban national after he entered the United States illegally near El Indio, Texas. Agents discovered the illegal alien was previously convicted of sex offenses related to children in Florida. After further investigation, agents discovered 44-year-old Lazaro Alberto Betancourt-Osorio also had an extensive immigration record as well.
Betancourt-Osorio was found by agents on June 1, as they patrolled a remote area near the small community located some 20 miles south of Eagle Pass, a city famous for large numbers of illegal border crossings during the Biden administration. Betancourt-Osorio was accompanied by seven other illegal aliens hiding in the brush country hoping to elude apprehension after crossing the Rio Grande.
An investigation of Betancourt-Osorio’s criminal history revealed he was convicted in 2012 in Florida of using a computer to seduce, solicit, and lure a child, and for traveling to meet a child after using a computer to lure. He was sentenced to 42 months of incarceration and was later formally removed from the United States in 2016 after serving his prison term. Betancourt-Osorio returned to the United States illegally after his removal and was arrested in 2025 and again removed from the United States.
Betancourt-Osorio has been arraigned in federal magistrate court in the Western District of Texas and is facing a charge of 8 USC § 1326 – reentry of removed alien. As a previously removed aggravated felon, Betancourt-Osorio is facing a fine and a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony “Scott” Good commented on the arrest of the dangerous offender, saying, “This arrest by Carrizo Springs Station agents highlights the importance of constant vigilance along the immediate border. With prior convictions for sexual crimes against children, this illegal alien posed a serious threat to our communities. He and others like him need to understand one thing: If you are in this country illegally, you will be caught.”
The arrest of Betancourt-Osorio highlights the drastic change in tactics human smugglers have employed along the southwest border after illegal alien border crossings plummeted under President Trump’s strict border security measures. The measures have forced human smugglers to attempt to move illegal aliens through tough remote terrain to elude apprehension by the Border Patrol.
Sources within CBP say that attempting to enter the United States through rough, remote terrain is extremely dangerous due to the high summer temperatures. The tactic carries no guarantee of success, as the drastic reduction of illegal border crossings allows the Border Patrol to increase patrols on remote ranches.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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