BEAUMONT, Texas — A man was arrested in Mexico and brought back to Jefferson County by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Friday afternoon.
Howard Lyons, 53, was charged with sexual assault of a child in 2005.
A federal Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP) investigation into Lyons was opened by FBI Beaumont in 2007 according to a FBI news release.
He was found and arrested in a small Yucatan peninsula town in Mexico in late 2022. This was due to the work of FBI Beaumont’s investigative and analytical team.
The FBI’s International Operations Division (IOD), Mexican law enforcement, and Interpol helped to find Lyons.
Lyons was booked into the Jefferson County Correctional Facility shortly after 6:00 p.m. Friday.
From a FBI news release:
This afternoon, 09/22/2023, FBI Beaumont agents flew 53-year-old Howard Lyons back from Mexico City to face Texas justice for the appalling crime he committed in Jefferson County in 2005. A federal Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP) investigation into Lyons was opened by FBI Beaumont in 2007. Lyons was found and arrested in a small Yucatan peninsula town in late 2022 directly due to the dedicated work of FBI Beaumont’s investigative and analytical team. Strong partnerships between the FBI’s International Operations Division (IOD), Mexican law enforcement, and Interpol allowed FBI Beaumont’s investigative efforts to transcend U.S. borders. Lyons was booked into the Jefferson County Correctional Facility shortly after 6:00 p.m. this afternoon.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.