A Nicaraguan national who spent more than 20 years fleeing federal authorities has pleaded guilty to the forcible sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl on a cruise ship that departed from Galveston, federal prosecutors announced Monday.
Guilty plea after 20 years
Elias Luis Herrera, 47, entered a guilty plea to sexual abuse of a minor before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas.
The backstory:
The charges stem from an incident in the early morning hours of July 17, 2003. According to court records, Herrera and a fellow crewman, Edgerton Phillip Medford, were working aboard the vessel when they targeted the teenage victim as she walked near a shipboard pool.
Prosecutors said the two men grabbed the 15-year-old by her arms, forced her down, and pinned her to a deck chair. Despite the victim screaming throughout the assault, both men removed their uniforms and took turns sexually abusing her.
A federal grand jury indicted Herrera in 2004, but he managed to evade capture. While on a subsequent cruise, Herrera fled from law enforcement in Cozumel, Mexico, later making his way to Costa Rica. He remained an international fugitive for more than two decades until his arrest by Costa Rican authorities and subsequent extradition to the United States in October 2025.
Sentencing scheduled
What's next:
Judge Lake accepted Herrera's guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for Sept. 18. Herrera faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. He will remain in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing.
Herrera’s co-defendant, Medford, was extradited to the United States nearly two decades ago in 2007. Medford previously pleaded guilty to his role in the assault and was deported to St. Vincent and the Grenadines following the completion of his prison sentence.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas.