Former Texas Most Wanted Illegal Fugitive Sentenced to 38 Years for Child Sexual Assault
HOUSTON, TX — A former member of the Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants list will spend nearly four decades in prison for the continuous sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl. Jose Miguel Zelaya-Ponce, 22, was sentenced in Harris County on January 13, 2026, to 38 years of confinement.
The sentencing brings a close to a high-profile case that drew national attention to the intersection of human smuggling and child exploitation.
Human Smuggling Probe Leads to Shocking Discovery
The case began in July 2024 during a routine investigation by the Texas Rangers and U.S. Border Patrol in Sierra Blanca. Officers intercepted a female driver who was found to be transporting two passengers: a male juvenile and a pregnant 11-year-old girl.
During the investigation:
- The driver admitted she was in the country illegally and identified the juvenile passenger and a Houston-based man, Jose Miguel Zelaya-Ponce, as her sons.
- Investigators made the harrowing discovery that the 11-year-old girl had been impregnated by Zelaya-Ponce.
- The driver was immediately arrested for human smuggling of a minor, and a warrant was issued for Zelaya-Ponce in Harris County.
The Manhunt and Capture
Zelaya-Ponce, a Honduran national, went into hiding following the Sierra Blanca arrest. Due to the severity of the allegations, he was added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List in August 2024.
His time on the run was short-lived. On August 23, 2024, Special Agents from the Texas Anti-Gang (TAG) Center in Houston, supported by Texas Rangers and Highway Patrol, located and apprehended Zelaya-Ponce in the Houston area.
DNA Evidence and Conviction
Following his capture, investigators used DNA testing to confirm that Zelaya-Ponce was the biological father of the victim’s child. The probe further revealed that the young girl had been living with him in Houston under a cycle of continuous sexual abuse.
On January 13, 2026, a Harris County jury found Zelaya-Ponce guilty of Continuous Sexual Assault of a Child, a first-degree felony enhanced by the age of the victim and the repeated nature of the crimes.
“Cases like this highlight the importance of collaborative investigative work between DPS and our partner law enforcement agencies,” a Texas DPS spokesperson stated, thanking the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the UNT Center for Human Identification for their roles in the case.
