Sex Offender Round Up Nets 8 Arrests

San Juan, PR - This morning the United States Marshals Service led Puerto Rico Violent Offenders Task Force Sex Offender’s Investigations team, in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Police Department’s Sex Offenders Division, conducted Operation “Safe Halloween”.

During the operation, a total of eight noncompliance sex offenders were arrested throughout the island and four more were criminally charged and are now been sought for arrest.

Welbon Salaam was one of the sex offenders arrested during the operation. Salaam was convicted in North Carolina for charges involving a minor and he is also wanted in the State of Georgia for avoiding sex registration laws. In addition Salaam was arrested as recently as January of this year in the State of Washington, for luring a minor into a van. Salaam will be facing extradition procedures to the State of Georgia. All eight arrests were made without incident.

“This is a crucial part of the U.S. Marshals Sex Offender investigations mission for which we diligently seek and arrest those who choose to travel to Puerto Rico to elude their requirements to register as convicted sex offenders,” said Orlando Rivera, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Marshals Service has three key missions under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006: (1) to assist state, local, tribal and territorial authorities in the location and apprehension of noncompliant sex offenders, (2) to investigate violations of the criminal provisions of the Adam Walsh Act, and (3) to identify and locate displaced sex offenders resulting from a major disaster. Since January 2009, the USMS has partnered with law enforcement personnel from more than 3,000 state and local agencies to coordinate and execute sex offender compliance/enforcement operations throughout the country.