Latest news with #AbnerRuiz
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Undocumented El Salvador migrants arrested in sting: Police posed as teen girls online; flagged for deportation
Representational image Three men from El Salvador, currently in the US without legal status, were arrested in Houston, Texas, after being caught in a police sting targeting online predators. Officers from the Houston police department posed as teenage girls on the dating app Jaumo. Over the last ten days, they arrested Abner Ruiz, 37, Erick Menjivar, 30, and Carlos Gomez, 33, on charges of online solicitation of a minor. All three are now in custody at Harris County Jail with immigration detainers placed against them. Court records say two of the men believed they were meeting a 14-year-old girl, while the third thought he was talking to a 16-year-old. Police confirmed the sting operation did not specifically focus on undocumented immigrants. Carlos Gomez had previously been deported to El Salvador in 2020 after entering the US illegally in 2012, ICE told Fox 26. At some point, he re-entered the country without being detected. He was arrested on 17 July during the sting, after fleeing the meeting spot, running stop signs, crashing into a gate, and injuring a pedestrian. He also faces charges for failing to stop and provide help. Abner Ruiz was also caught in the July 17 operation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Harry Potter Actors Who Grew Up Stunningly. The Noodle Box Read More Undo ICE could not confirm when he entered the country. This arrest is his first recorded interaction with US law enforcement. Erick Menjivar crossed into the US near San Ysidro, California, in 2018. He was detained and released three days later. His immigration case was dismissed in 2024 under prosecutorial discretion. He was arrested on 18 July. Jaumo, the dating app used in the sting, allows users to message others nearby without requiring a match. The platform prohibits users under 18.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Three illegal Salvadorans using dating app to meet teen girls nabbed in Houston sting operation: authorities
Three illegal migrants from El Salvador who were allegedly using a dating app to prey on teen girls more than half their age instead found themselves snagged in a sting operation in Texas, authorities said. Houston Police Department officers posed as underage girls on the dating app Jaumo and arrested three adult men who are now being held on immigration detainer at the Harris County Jail, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said earlier this week, according to Fox 26. Abner Ruiz, 37; Erick Menjivar, 30; and Carlos Gomez, 33, were arrested in separate incidents within the past 10 days, and each is charged with online solicitation of a minor, the station reported, citing court records. Advertisement 4 Carlos Gomez is one of three illegal migrants that allegedly used a dating app to prey on teen girls. FOX 26 Two of the sickos believed they were meeting a 14-year-old girl while the third attempted to meet up with a 16-year-old, according to those records. Cops said the ongoing sting did not specifically target illegal immigrants. Advertisement Gomez first entered the country illegally on Oct. 19, 2012, and was removed to El Salvador in 2020, ICE told Fox 26. He returned to the US illegally at an unknown time and remained undetected until he was busted in HPD's covert operation on July 17. He fled in his vehicle after realizing the supposed teenager he was meeting was a cop — running stop signs, crashing into a gate and injuring a pedestrian in his failed dash for freedom, the report stated. 4 The sting operation on July 17 was Abner Ruiz's first run-in with law enforcement. FOX 26 Advertisement 4 Erick Menjivar entered the US illegally near San Ysidro, Calif., on July 25, 2018. FOX 26 Gomez, the father of a child under 18, also faces charges of failure to stop and render aid. He was convicted of violently assaulting a family member in 2015, per Fox 26. Immigration officials do not know when Martinez Ruiz crossed into the US illegally, so the sting operation on July 17 was his first run-in with law enforcement, Fox 26 reported, citing ICE. Advertisement Menjivar entered the US illegally near San Ysidro, Calif., on July 25, 2018, and was arrested that same day by immigration officials who released him into the country three days later. 4 Jaumo lets users message each other even if they don't match. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images He had his immigration case dismissed in 2024 after the federal government exercised prosecutorial discretion, according to ICE. He was nabbed on July 18, officials said. Jaumo bills itself as 'the first community-based dating app' and allows users to match with people in their area, according to its website. Children under the age of 18 are not permitted on the platform. Unlike more popular dating apps, users can message each other without previously matching, according to Fox 29.
