El Paso man sentenced to more than 3 years for assaulting child on Indian reservation

EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison Thursday in U.S. district court for assaulting a child on the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo reservation.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case assisted by the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Tribal Police Department.

Roberto Martinez, 28, also was ordered to be placed on supervised release for three years after completing his prison term.

On Jan. 7, Martinez pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country. According to court records, on Nov. 1, 2019, Martinez threatened the victim with a knife while inside the victim’s home.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kirk Mangels prosecuted this case.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.