PIEDRAS NEGRAS — Chad Eberle, a 35-year-old U.S. police officer from Santa Anna, Texas, was arrested in Mexico on charges related to the deaths of three people. Authorities accused Eberle of killing two women and one man in Saltillo and critically injuring the mother of his child during a dispute over custody of their three-year-old son.

Eberle was taken into custody while attempting to cross from Mexico into Texas through the international bridge at Piedras Negras, which sits across from Eagle Pass. Investigators intercepted him before he could re-enter the United States with the child, who was found unharmed. The arrest followed a manhunt launched after Eberle left a residence in a gray Chevrolet Silverado, prompting authorities to track the vehicle toward the border.

The violence occurred in July in Saltillo, Mexico, following an argument regarding whether Eberle had permission to take his son. Two women and one man were killed in the attack, and the victims were identified as Ana Laura, 44; Laura Jaquelín, 22; and Emanuel, 44. The child’s 26-year-old mother was shot in the head and remained in critical condition following the incident.

Eberle was arrested on a warrant accusing him of femicide and qualified homicide. Under Mexican law, femicide refers to the intentional killing of a woman or girl because of her gender. Coahuila Attorney General Federico Fernández provided details on the suspect's status following the arrest.

"It is reported that at [9.59p] Chad ‘N’ has been admitted to the Saltillo men’s penitentiary in compliance with [an] arrest warrant, where he has been placed at the disposal of the competent judicial authority, in accordance with the corresponding procedure, Fernández said. He also addressed the status of the child involved in the custody dispute."

Likewise, the minor is already in the city of Saltillo, under the custody and care of the prosecutor’s office for boys, girls and the family (Pronnif), in order to guarantee the comprehensive protection of his rights," Fernández said. The child was placed in the care of Coahuila’s child welfare agency after being recovered."

Eberle is identified as a police officer in Santa Anna, Texas, though city officials clarified the nature of his employment. Santa Anna city officials stated Eberle was "an unpaid reserve police officer hired in November 2025 and worked one weekend per month." They further described him as "one of our reserve officers … [who] was on a personal leave of absence until December."

Local authorities indicated they were coordinating with federal and state entities regarding the case. "The Santa Anna police department has been in contact with the US consulate in Mexico and [the Texas commission on law enforcement]," Santa Anna city officials stated. They added that "[d]ue to the ongoing investigation, no other public comment will be made."

Eberle held a series of law enforcement positions in Texas prior to his role in Santa Anna. He previously worked as a deputy constable with Bexar County, specifically serving Bexar County Constable Precinct 2 from 2019 to 2020. He also previously served as a police officer for the Northside Independent School District.

His career included roles in several other Texas communities. Eberle held law enforcement positions in Somerset, Marble Falls, Gregory, Lockney, and Bangs, Texas. A 2022 Facebook post from the Lockney police department described Eberle as an army veteran.

The arrest shows cross-border legal complexities involving U.S. law enforcement personnel accused of violent crimes abroad. Mexico, located in Latin America and the Caribbean with its capital in Mexico City, is classified by the World Bank as an upper middle income economy. The case involves specific charges of femicide, a distinct legal category in Mexican law for gender-based killings.

This incident adds to a pattern of recent cases involving U.S. citizens facing serious criminal allegations in Latin America. Earlier coverage on 2026-06-15 reported a U.S. citizen arrested over alleged child sexual abuse in Colombia. Regional law enforcement cooperation remains critical in such investigations, as seen in the coordination between Santa Anna officials, the U.S. consulate, and Mexican authorities.