U.S. Border Patrol agents working near Niagara Falls, New York, arrested Pablo Ordonez-Melendez, a 48-year-old Honduran national living in the country illegally with a criminal history stretching back nearly 25 years.
Buffalo Sector agents reviewed Ordonez-Melendez’s immigration and criminal records and found a pattern of arrests including sexual assault against minors, grand larceny, assault with intent to cause injury, endangerment, bail jumping, possession of stolen property, and numerous traffic offenses.
Ordonez-Melendez was on probation in New York, a sanctuary state, at the time of his arrest and is considered a probation violator.
Buffalo Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato credited his agents for the arrest.
“This arrest is a clear example of our agents’ commitment to public safety. Those who violate our immigration laws and have serious criminal histories will be identified, arrested, and removed from the United States.”
Ordonez-Melendez was processed at the Niagara Falls Border Patrol station and handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations to await deportation proceedings.
The Buffalo Sector patrols 490 linear miles of maritime border between ports of entry in New York and Pennsylvania. Since October, agents in the sector have arrested 1,741 illegal aliens through July.
“We will continue to protect our border and keep dangerous individuals out of our communities,” Chief D’Amato said.
The arrest comes as Border Patrol staffing has hit a record high nationwide. CBP announced in late June that the agency had reached 21,271 agents, the largest force in Border Patrol history, following stricter immigration enforcement policies enacted after President Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
That increased staffing has allowed for more routine patrols between ports of entry, raising the odds that illegal aliens attempting to enter, work, or travel undetected will be caught.
