Border Patrol agents arrested a Honduran man on Feb. 28 in Okaloosa County who was wanted for the alleged assault of a Border Patrol agent.
According to a press release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Edwin Edgardo Tercero, 41, and five other occupants of his vehicle were pulled over by Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 10.
During the traffic stop, Border Patrol agents were called for assistance and, after questioning, found that all six occupants were in the country illegally. Tercero had previously been arrested by Border Patrol on May 7, 2018 in Gulfport, Mississippi, on suspicion of alien smuggling and illegal activity, but had run away after allegedly assaulting the arresting agent. The agent was uninjured in the alleged assault, the press release said.
Tercero was extradited to Harrison County, Mississippi, on March 1 to face charges of reentry of removed alien and assault on a federal officer. The other occupants of the vehicle were placed under removal proceedings in Alabama, the release said.
The apprehension was part of Operation Stonegarden patrol, a U.S. Border Patrol and Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program designed to secure the border by partnering with state, local and tribal agencies to patrol key points of entry into the U.S.
Customs asks community members to report suspicious activity to border patrol by calling (504) 376-2800. All calls will be answered and remain anonymous.
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© 2019 Crestview News Bulletin, Fla.
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