CBP Officers Find U.S. Citizen Wanted for Murder Hidden in Trunk of Car

San Diego— U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa port of entry early Monday morning apprehended a fugitive wanted for murder who was hiding in the trunk of a vehicle to evade capture.

On June 11, at about 2:00 a.m., a 57-year-old female driving a gray Chevrolet Impala with a 28-year-old female passenger entered the port for inspection from Mexico. The CBP officer conducting the inspection observed the driver and passenger acting suspiciously and referred the car and occupants for a more intensive inspection.

CBP officers screened the car with a non-intrusive imaging device, similar to an X-ray, and saw the outline of a person hiding in the trunk of the car. Officers removed 22-year-old Jose Alejandro Gonzales, a male U.S. citizen, from the trunk of the vehicle.

CBP officers used his fingerprints to positively identify Gonzales. A search of law enforcement databases also revealed that Gonzales had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest for homicide with bail set at $2.1 million; he was wanted by the FBI in Las Vegas, NV.

After confirming the warrant with the FBI, CBP officers transported Gonzales to the San Diego County jail pending extradition.

The two women, both U.S. citizens, were released.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.