Mexican Sex Offender and Six-Time Deportee in Ice Custody

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—A complaint was issued today on an admitted Mexican gang member, convicted child sex offender and six-time deportee who was arrested last week by Cedar County Sheriff’s Department a day after a high-speed chase with Missouri Highway patrol, and ultimately turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Roberto Madrigal-Lopez, 33, and his passenger fled to nearby woods following the Aug. 2 wreck of their vehicle during the high-speed chase. Upon his Aug. 3 arrest, Madrigal-Lopez originally claimed to be Carlos Lopez-Garcia. However, expedited fingerprint checks confirmed his true identity, and his extensive criminal conviction history, which includes:

• First-Degree Sexual Abuse of a Minor under 14 (10-year sentence) October 2002 Arkansas
• Evading a Police Officer and Disregard for Public Safety (16-month sentence), December 1998, California
• Re-Entry after Deportation (2-year sentence), January 1996, California federal conviction
• Revocation of federal probation for violating 1996 Re-Entry conviction (12-month sentence) August 2004
• Auto Theft (16-month sentence), February 1994, California
• Sale and Possession of Heroin (3-year sentence), June 1993, California

In addition, Madrigal-Lopez has been deported from the U.S. on: October 1993, March 1995, April 1997, June 1997, November 2000 and March 2005. Re-entering the United States after being formally deported is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

“Madrigal-Lopez has continually demonstrated that he doesn’t belong in this country,” said Elissa Brown, special agent-in-charge of the ICE Chicago office. “With his extensive criminal activity, we’ll work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to keep him off U.S. streets.” Brown heads the ICE Office of Investigations which includes a six-state area of: Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Madrigal-Lopez, who is heavily tattooed, is also an admitted member of the Mexican gang: the Border Brothers. He is now in ICE custody being held without bond.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri in Springfield, has accepted the case for prosecution.

Madrigal-Lopez was arrested by the Cedar County Missouri Sheriff’s Department on Aug. 5 on charges of Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Resisting Arrest and multiple traffic violations.