CBP Officers at Port of Hidalgo Arrest Woman Wanted for Florida Kidnapping

Hidalgo, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Hidalgo Port of Entry arrested a woman who was the subject of an outstanding Florida arrest warrant for kidnapping.

On January 9, CBP officers working the primary lanes at the Hidalgo International Bridge encountered a woman identified as Iris Sandoval, 25, a United States citizen and resident of Gibsonton, Florida. She was accompanied by two minor male children, ages seven and eight. Checks of a CBP database by the primary CBP officer revealed a possible outstanding arrest warrant for Sandoval. CBP officers escorted Sandoval to secondary for verification of possible arrest warrant.

At secondary, CBP officers verified the outstanding warrant from Florida in a case involving parental kidnapping issued in November 2008. CBP officers arrested Iris Sandoval and subsequently turned her and the minor boys over to the custody of the Hidalgo Police Department. Iris Sandoval remains incarcerated pending extradition to Florida.

“Primary CBP officers’ use of a national database has resulted in the identification of this wanted person and the recovery of these two missing juveniles from Florida. I commend our CBP officers for their continued commitment to the protection of our country," said Sylvia Briones, Acting Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas port of entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.