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The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced that Ismael Arias, a 52-year-old Cuban with a history of serious sexual offenses, has been listed as a "most wanted fugitive" for the month of November on the Texas 10 Most Wanted list for Illegal Immigrant Criminals. The reward for information leading to his capture has been increased to $4,000, according to the agency's official website.
According to the DPS, Arias has been wanted since April 2025 in Harris County for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements. The Cuban has a violent history dating back to 2005, when he was arrested in Florida for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and criminal mischief.
A year later, in 2006, he was arrested in the Texas counties of Hudspeth and Culberson, accused of aggravated sexual assault against a minor, kidnapping, and sexual assault.
He was later convicted of indecency with a minor who was 13 years old, a crime for which he served time in a prison of the Texas Criminal Justice Department. Arias was released on parole in 2013 and discharged from the prison system in 2015.
Authorities describe the fugitive as a man who stands 1.78 meters (5 feet 10 inches) tall, weighing approximately 102 kilograms (225 pounds), with tattoos on both arms.
The DPS reminded that individuals who provide useful information for their capture can do so anonymously via the line 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), through the form available on the DPS website, or through the "Submit a Tip" option on the institution's Facebook page.
The Texas Crime Stoppers program, funded by the Governor's Office of Public Safety, offers cash rewards for the capture of the state's most wanted criminals.
In 2025 alone, authorities have apprehended 60 fugitives, including 24 sex offenders and 13 illegal immigrants with criminal records, and $41,000 has been paid in rewards for information that led to arrests.
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