U.S. Marshals Task Force captures Victoria fugitive in Edna

    At approximately 12:30 p.m. this afternoon members of the United States Marshals Service Gulf Coast Violent Offenderand Fugitive Task Force-Victoria Division arrested Damien Rhoder, 30, of Victoria. Rhoder, a member of the Bloods street gang was charged by the Victoria Police Department for his alleged participation in a Feb. 19, 2015 robbery. Rhoder’s charges include one count of Obstruction/Retaliation, two counts of Engaging in Organized Criminal activity, as well as a Parole Violation stemming from an Evading in a Vehicle conviction back in 2013.
    On March 18, investigators with the Victoria Police Department requested the assistance of the GCVOFTF in locating and apprehending Rhoder.  GCVOFTF investigators gathered information that Rhoder was staying at a motel located in the 1000 block of East Houston Hwy in Edna. Task Force members coordinated with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Edna PD, and Ganado PD to arrest Rhoder as he exited the motel room. Rhoder is awaiting extradition to Victoria County where he will be held in lieu of $50,000 bond on the Obstruction/Retaliation and two Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity charges. There is no bond set for the Parole Violation.
    The Gulf Coast Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force is a team comprised of law enforcement officers from the U.S. Marshals, Victoria Police Department, Nueces County Sheriff’s Department, Corpus Christi Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General. The task force objective is to seek out and arrest violent criminals, gang members, and sex offenders. U.S. Marshals-led district task forces arrested 86,704 state and local fugitives in FY 2012, clearing approximately 114,311 state and local felony warrants.
    Anonymous tips can be made by texting 411TIPS (847411) keyword GULFCOAST or by going to www.usmarshals.gov/district/tx-s/index.html.