Umberto Torres Iracheta was 71 years old. He was an immigration officer. He was also a cyclist who took safety seriously.
He always wore his reflective vest.
On April 24, 2021, he was riding his bike in the city of Hidalgo. A truck hit him. The driver did not stop.
That driver was Francisco Javier Vallejo. He was a Border Patrol agent at the time.
After he drove away, Vallejo called his CBP supervisor. He told his boss he had hit a cyclist and thought the man was dead. Surveillance cameras had already caught him on video. Cops arrested him days later.
Umberto Torres Iracheta did not survive.
📋 Where the Case Stands
Vallejo was indicted in December 2022 on charges connected to the crash.
That was more than three years ago. The case has been pushed back again and again.
The Hidalgo County DA's office says the case has a priority trial setting. That means it is supposed to move faster than other cases. But the hearings keep getting rescheduled.
The next court date is set for November 2.
❓ The Question the Family Keeps Asking
Torres Iracheta was an immigration officer himself. His family wonders if that has anything to do with the long wait.
"Does it have anything to do with the fact that he was an immigration officer? That is a question we continue to ask ourselves," a family representative said.
The DA's office points to a heavy case backlog. The family says that explanation is not enough.
🚲 Who Umberto Was
Umberto Torres Iracheta was not just a victim. He was a public servant. A dedicated cyclist. A man who did everything right that morning.
He wore his reflective vest. He followed the rules of the road.
Five years have passed. His family is still waiting for a trial to start.
