A man convicted of sexually assaulting a child in Galveston County has been returned to Texas after spending more than 26 years as a fugitive.
Roberto Moran Perez was extradited from Nicaragua on October 28 following an international operation involving local and federal law enforcement agencies.
According to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, Perez was convicted in 2000 of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. The convictions carried prison sentences of 16 and 10 years, respectively, but Perez fled before sentencing and remained at large for more than two decades.
The effort to locate and return Perez involved 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. Authorities also utilized an INTERPOL Red Notice, which allows law enforcement agencies across participating countries to identify and locate individuals wanted for criminal prosecution or imprisonment.
However, Perez’s extradition has raised questions in Nicaragua, where the country’s constitution prohibits the extradition of its own citizens.
According to Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa, authorities have not disclosed whether Perez holds Nicaraguan citizenship. Article 39 of the country’s constitution explicitly prohibits extraditing Nicaraguan nationals, although extradition of foreign citizens is permitted under applicable laws and international agreements.
The constitutional provision has previously prevented Nicaragua from returning fugitives to neighboring countries.
In October, Nicaraguan authorities declined to extradite Rafael Antonio Valdez Garcia, a Nicaraguan citizen accused of murdering his wife and nine-year-old daughter in Costa Rica. Despite requests from Costa Rican officials, Nicaragua announced that Valdez Garcia would face prosecution within its own judicial system.
The restrictions have also complicated cooperation with American authorities. A 2024 U.S. Department of State report noted that, although Nicaragua and the United States have an extradition treaty, Nicaraguan law prohibits the extradition of its nationals, including dual citizens.
The report also found that Nicaragua generally requires an INTERPOL Red Notice before cooperating with American authorities to remove foreign fugitives from its territory. For Nicaraguan citizens wanted abroad, authorities may instead pursue prosecution domestically.
