Press Releases

AUSTIN – Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender Alejandro Villegas is this month’s Featured Fugitive. The reward for information leading to his arrest is increased to $6,000 during July if the tip is received this month.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announces the results of the national Uniformed Safety Education Officers Workshop (USEOW), which was held in Des Moines, Iowa. The five-day workshop and competition offers public safety education training to state police officers from across the country and allows officers to put their presentation skills to the test against other state police organizations.

AUSTIN – Three of Texas’s 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders are back in custody following their recent arrests across the state. Authorities captured Eduardo Fuentes in Hidalgo, Kenneth Patterson in Plano and Leroy Lewis Jr. in Houston last week. A Texas Crime Stoppers reward will be paid for the arrest of Kenneth Patterson.

CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) seized 30 bundles of cocaine during an Operation Lone Star traffic stop in Brooks Co.

AUSTIN – As Texans gather to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is stepping up enforcement efforts for the Fourth of July holiday. To keep everyone safe more Troopers will be out on the roads, including for the Operation Crash Awareness Reduction Effort (CARE), which runs July 2-5.

SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Investigations Division (CID) has recovered two missing children identified in a statewide AMBER Alert issued out of Bexar Co. last week. Escarleth Vasquez, 15, and Alejandro Vasquez, 1, were located safe in Houston on Thursday.

AUSTIN – Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender Victor Ramos Jr. – who was this month’s Featured Fugitive – is back in custody after being captured in Marble Falls last weekend. An increased Texas Crime Stoppers reward will be paid for his arrest.

AUSTIN – Today, hundreds gathered at Childress High School, to pay their respects to Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Highway Patrol (THP) Trooper Sergio Romero, who was tragically killed in the line of duty last week.

AUSTIN – It is with great sadness that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announces the death of a Highway Patrol Trooper following a traffic crash in Childress County.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is proud to announce the expansion of the Texas Rangers’ Unsolved Crimes Investigation (UCIP/Cold Case) Program – a specialized unit dedicated to solving cold case murders and sexual assaults across the state.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Franklin Estuardo Gonzalez Flores – a violent offender from Guatemala – to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List. Texas Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to his arrest. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announces two leadership changes, which were confirmed by the Public Safety Commission (PSC) this week. The promotions are a result of the retirement of Infrastructure Operations Division (IOD) Chief Jason Hester, who retired after 28 years of dedicated service with the department.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) welcomed 69 new Texas Highway Patrol Troopers from Recruit Class D-2025 during a graduation ceremony at Great Hills Baptist Church last week. This is the department’s 181st graduating class.

AUSTIN – This morning, at about 8:00 CST, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), along with the Midland Police Department (MPD) and other local, state and federal law enforcement partners, responded to reports of an active shooter in the 4600 block of West Wall Street in Midland, Texas.

AUSTIN – Members of the Public Safety Commission (PSC), along with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Colonel Freeman F. Martin, recognized acts of service and bravery at the June PSC meeting today at DPS Headquarters in Austin. PSC Commissioners and Colonel Martin presented two Javier Arana Jr. Top Trooper Awards, two Adolph Thomas Distinguished Service Awards, one Director’s Citation, one Director’s Award, seven Lifesaving Awards and one Unit Citation.