IRVING, Texas — A traffic stop late Friday night led to the arrest of a South Irving man who police say has multiple prior DWI convictions and was found in possession of fentanyl.
On the night of March 13, 2026, an Irving police officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was reportedly speeding and driving erratically. During the stop, the officer observed signs that the driver was impaired.
The driver was identified as 33-year-old Epifanio Bautista-Benitez of South Irving. Officers conducted standard field sobriety tests, which Bautista-Benitez failed. Authorities later confirmed impairment through a blood test.
During the investigation, officers also located fentanyl inside the vehicle.
Bautista-Benitez was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
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Driving While Intoxicated – 3rd or More Convictions (Felony)
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Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1/1-B (Fentanyl)
Officials also confirmed that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold has been placed on Bautista-Benitez by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas/Fort Worth.
Investigators say Bautista-Benitez has a lengthy criminal history involving impaired driving. Court records show he was convicted of DWI in Tarrant County in July 2022 and convicted of DWI in Dallas County in August 2019, where he received a 120-day county jail sentence that was suspended in favor of 12 months of probation.
In September 2023, Bautista-Benitez was arrested again for DWI (enhanced for three or more prior convictions). That case remains pending, with the most recent court records indicating that his court-appointed attorney filed a request to withdraw from the case.
More recently, in August 2024, Bautista-Benitez was arrested for Evading Arrest or Detention after fleeing from a Grand Prairie police officer during an attempted arrest. Authorities also listed him at that time as an illegal alien, though he was able to post bond and was not deported.
Since he already had more than 3 contictions at the time of arrest in 2023, Bautista-Benitez must have additional criminal convictions in other counties as well.
He is currently being held while the case moves forward and the ICE detainer remains in place.
