ICE arrested Cesar Orlando Castro Serrano on Nov. 10 in Katy, Texas. He is accused of beating a 22-year-old Houston woman with a tire iron, sexually assaulting her and leaving her in critical condition in February 2023. Charged in 2023 with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping, Castro Serrano had an outstanding 2016 deportation order after entering the U.S. in 2015. He was transferred to Harris County authorities and ICE has filed a detainer.
ICE Arrests Salvadoran Man Accused of Tire-Iron Beating and Sexual Assault of Houston Woman
ICE arrested Cesar Orlando Castro Serrano on Nov. 10 in Katy, Texas. He is accused of beating a 22-year-old Houston woman with a tire iron, sexually assaulting her and leaving her in critical condition in February 2023. Charged in 2023 with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping, Castro Serrano had an outstanding 2016 deportation order after entering the U.S. in 2015. He was transferred to Harris County authorities and ICE has filed a detainer.
09:53 AM, 11/19/2025Security
Federal immigration agents arrested Cesar Orlando Castro Serrano of El Salvador on Nov. 10 in Katy, Texas. Authorities say Castro Serrano has been wanted since 2023 in connection with a violent attack that left a 22-year-old Houston woman in critical condition.
Allegations: According to officials, the woman was struck in the head with a tire iron, sexually assaulted and left in a wooded area behind an apartment complex in February 2023. Castro Serrano was charged in 2023 with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping. He remains an accused individual and has not been convicted.
"This barbaric criminal beat a 22-year-old Houston woman in the head with a tire iron and sexually assaulted her before leaving her to die in a wooded area...This heinous predator should have never been in our country," said Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Officials said ICE located and arrested Castro Serrano after approximately two years on the run and handed him over to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to face state charges. ICE has also lodged a detainer to be notified before any potential release so federal authorities may seek custody.
Immigration history: DHS reports Castro Serrano entered the United States without authorization in 2015. An immigration judge ordered his removal in 2016. The recent arrest follows that outstanding immigration order and the criminal charges related to the 2023 attack.
Legal status: Prosecutors will pursue the state criminal charges in Harris County. Castro Serrano remains in custody pending further legal proceedings. As with all defendants, he should be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.