A federal grand jury in El Paso indicted Clemente Fernando Vazquez Serna, 34, on five charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas said. The charges involve the alleged transportation of a 14-year-old girl and child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Vazquez Serna was encountered Oct. 11 on a Transborder bus selected for an outbound inspection at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. Officials said the bus was coming from Colorado and that Vazquez Serna is from Mexico and was in the U.S. illegally. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that he and the girl presented Mexican birth certificates and were taken off the bus for further inspection.
Court documents allege that investigators found Vazquez Serna was in a romantic relationship with the girl and was taking her to Mexico to live with him. An inspection of his cellphones allegedly revealed files of child sexual abuse material depicting the girl. Vazquez Serna was arrested and ordered detained Oct. 16 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Berton, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The charges include transportation of a minor, production and possession of child sexual abuse material, and transportation and attempted transportation of visual depictions involving a minor.