Williamson County Resident Deported from Mexico to Face Lengthy Prison Sentence in Texas
Austin, TX – The U.S. Marshals, working with Mexican officials, coordinated the March 21 deportation of a Williamson County resident who was sought by authorities when he failed to appear for trial on an indictment for unlawful possession of a firearm.
Louis Phillip Reyes, 32, of Cedar Park, was indicted by a Williamson County grand jury, following a traffic stop conducted by the Cedar Park Police Department in March of 2021, when authorities were dispatched to the intersection of Bagdad Road and Whitestone Boulevard on a road-rage incident reported of a male who pointed a firearm at an individual.
On March 11, Reyes appeared for jury selection and trial in the 368th District Court in Williamson County to face the charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. The following day on March 12, Reyes failed to appear to resume trial and the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office obtained a warrant on Reyes for a bond forfeiture.
The Williamson County District Attorney’s Office requested assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force to locate and apprehend Reyes, who was last known to reside in Cedar Park.
On March 13, a Williamson County Jury returned a guilty verdict on Reyes for unlawful possession of a firearm and was sentenced to forty-five years to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The Austin based fugitive task force initiated an immediate fugitive investigation into the whereabouts of Reyes, which indicated he had fled to international territory into the Republic of Mexico.
Investigators continued fugitive efforts and contacted the United States Marshals, Office of International Operations to communicate with Mexican authorities on the possible whereabouts of Reyes.
On March 20, Mexican authorities detained Reyes in Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas, Mexico on an immigration violation near the border of Guatemala.
On March 21, Mexican Immigration officials deported Reyes back to the United States via the George Bush Intercontinental Airport where he was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force and was booked into the Harris County Jail, where he will await extradition back to Williamson County.
The United States Marshals Service thanks the Mexican authorities for their critical assistance.
Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin:
- Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit
- Georgetown, Round Rock, and San Marcos Police Department
- Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office
- Texas Attorney General’s Office
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG
- Texas Department of Public Safety
- U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
- U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations
Source: U.S. Marshals Service, usmarshals.gov
