A convicted child sex offender with a history of violent crimes has been named Texas’ most wanted criminal illegal immigrant for November 2025. Law enforcement officials are offering an increased reward for information leading to his capture.
Ismael Arias, a 52-year-old Cuban national, has been designated as the Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrant of the month. Authorities consider him armed and dangerous, and have bumped the reward for information to $4,000 if he’s apprehended based on a tip received in November.
Violent Criminal History
Arias’ rap sheet reads like a nightmare. His criminal history includes arrests for aggravated assault, battery, criminal mischief, and perhaps most disturbing, aggravated sexual assault of a child and kidnapping. Court records show convictions dating back to 2005 and 2006.
“Arias was later convicted in Hudspeth Co. for indecency with a child by contact following an incident with a 13-year-old girl,” the Texas Department of Public Safety notes in its official wanted bulletin.
Where might Arias be hiding? Officials believe he has ties to Harris County and was last spotted in Houston. Standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing approximately 225 pounds, he has distinguishing tattoos on both upper arms that might help identify him.
How to Submit Tips
For those who might have information on Arias’ whereabouts, there’s a structured process for submitting tips while maintaining anonymity. “To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods: Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). Submit a web tip through the DPS website… Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the ‘SUBMIT A TIP’ link (under the ‘About’ section),” according to official guidelines.
The system is designed to protect informants. All tips remain anonymous regardless of submission method, with tipsters receiving a tip number instead of using their name.
This approach seems to be working. So far in 2025, Texas Crime Stoppers has paid out $41,000 in rewards for information that led to the arrest of 60 fugitives from the Texas 10 Most Wanted list. That tally includes 24 sex offenders and 13 criminal illegal immigrants captured through citizen tips.
For law enforcement, the math is simple: a $4,000 reward is a small price to pay to remove someone with Arias’ violent history from the streets. Now they wait for the phone to ring.
