Roberto Moran Perez was extradited from Nicaragua to Texas on October 28, after more than 26 years as a fugitive, according to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office. The operation involved local and federal law enforcement agencies.
The sheriff's office said Perez was convicted in 2000 of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. The sentences were 16 years and 10 years, respectively. Perez fled before he was sentenced. The Galveston County Sheriff's Office, Galveston County District Attorney's Office, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of State took part in the effort. Authorities also used an INTERPOL Red Notice.
According to the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa, the extradition has raised questions in Nicaragua, where Article 39 of the constitution bars extraditing Nicaraguan citizens. Authorities have not said whether Perez holds Nicaraguan citizenship. In October, Nicaragua declined to extradite a Nicaraguan citizen to Costa Rica and said he would be prosecuted domestically. A 2024 U.S. State Department report said Nicaraguan law prohibits extraditing its nationals, including dual citizens.