Man on Texas' 'Most Wanted' list arrested in Mesquite

An El Salvadorian man who illegally entered the country and was wanted for sexual assault, terroristic threats and obstruction was arrested in Mesquite on Friday.

Omar Zavala was named to "Texas' 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrant" list when it was created in June 2024.

Texas DPS Arrests Wanted Man in Mesquite 

Omar Zavala (Source: Texas DPS)

What we know:

Omar Zavala, was arrested in Mesquite on Friday.

Several law enforcement agencies participated in the efforts to arrest Zavala.

DPS agents assigned to the Texas Anti-Gang center in Houston and members of the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force worked with DPS Special Agents assigned to the Special Investigations Section in Garland, the U.S. Marshals Service North Texas Fugitive Task Force and the Dallas Police Department Drone Unit to find and arrest Zavala.

What we don't know:

Texas DPS did not release any details about how they were able to track down Zavala.

Omar Zavala Criminal History

Omar Zavala (Source: Texas DPS)

The backstory:

In 2014, Omar Zavala was arrested multiple times by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He was removed from the United States the next year.

In 2020, police in Houston arrested Zavala for allegedly making a terrorist threat and obstruction/retaliation.

He was also wanted out of Harris County in 2022, on charges of sexual assault, making a terrorist threat and obstruction/retaliation.

MesquiteCrime and Public SafetyImmigration