A Texas Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Hiding For 9 Years, Captured

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A woman who was recently featured on the Texas Department of Public Safety's 'Ten Most Wanted Fugitives' list was recently captured. The list is usually dominated by men, but women do occasionally make it to the most wanted in the state.

Following up on a tip, 34-year-old fugitive Iris Iliana Rodriguez was captured by authorities in Mexico. Rodriguez had been wanted by Texas law enforcement since 2015 and was awaiting trial on the following charges:

three counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact
three counts of harassment
one count of unlawful restraint

According to Texas DPS, warrants for her arrest came about because of an inappropriate relationship she had with an 11-year-old girl. The relationship developed while she was working as a counselor in Laredo, Texas. Rodriguez was able to contact the child under the pretext of offering guidance and support for the 11-year-old.

Rodriguez had been on the run from authorities for nine years. A tip called into Crime Stoppers led to the multi-agency arrest. She was taken into custody by members of INTERPOL Mexico on December 11, 2023, with assistance and information coming from United States Marshals Service (USMS), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Investigations (CID) Special Agents from Laredo along with coordinated efforts with the USMS Country Attaché in Mexico.

The tipster that led authorities to Rodriguez was paid $5000 for calling in the information to Crime Stoppers that led to the capture of one of the most wanted fugitives in Texas.

You can be eligible for a cash reward from Crime Stoppers.

To be eligible for a cash reward for any of the '10 Most Wanted Fugitives' in Texas or any other wanted fugitive, a tipster must provide the information to Texas DPS in one of the following ways:

Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about and then clicking on the link under their picture.
Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).

As always, ALL TIPS ARE ANONYMOUS no matter how they are received. If you know the whereabouts of an individual fugitive, NEVER attempt to apprehend them yourself. All are considered armed and dangerous, simply call 9-1-1 with the information that you have.

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Gallery Credit: Gregg County Sheriff's Office

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