The multi-agency El Paso County Sheriff’s Office DWI Task Force made 35 arrests on New Year’s Eve and into the early hours of New Year’s Day, sheriff’s officials said.
The task force was comprised of sheriff’s deputies along with the El Paso Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety and county constables.
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A news release by sheriff’s spokeswoman Priscilla I. Contreras stated that 26 of the 35 people arrested were booked on driving while intoxicated charges while the remainder were arrested on other traffic-related charges or warrants. Those arrested ranged in age from 61 to 18 years old.
Freeway car pursuit in far East Side
The DWI Task Force arrested a 19-year-old driver after a freeway pursuit of about two miles in the far East Side in one of the notable cases during the operation.
“This type of behavior puts everyone on the roadway at risk,” Sheriff Oscar Ugarte said in a statement. “Our deputies are out there to prevent impaired driving and keep our community safe. Choosing to evade law enforcement only makes a dangerous situation worse, and we will continue to hold individuals accountable for those decisions.”
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The incident began about 1:37 a.m. on Jan 1 when a deputy patrolling the area of Loop 375 and Interstate 10 saw a black Chrysler 300 change lanes without signaling as the car entered I-10, a sheriff’s news release stated.
The multi-agency El Paso County Sheriff’s Office DWI Task Force made 35 arrests on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 2026.
The car accelerated when the deputy attempted to pull it over and continued until stopping on I-10 past the Eastlake Boulevard Exit.
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During the felony stop, the driver was ordered out of the car at gunpoint with his hands up and taken into custody, according to an edited body camera video released by the Sheriff’s Office.
Joshua Palos Hernandez, of Socorro, was arrested on a charge of evading arrest with a vehicle, which is a felony in Texas. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail Downtown and released that same day on a $5,000 surety bond. His name is listed as Joshua Rafael Palos on a jail log.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso freeway chase among DWI Task Force arrests on New Year’s Day