Colorado Man Wanted for Homicide Nabbed at Port

San Luis, Ariz. — A Colorado man wanted for homicide was arrested Tuesday by Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Luis Port of Entry.

Consuelo Zavala, 35, was selected for additional questioning when he attempted to enter the United States through a pedestrian lane. After a routine records check revealed the warrant out of Weld County, Colo., he was arrested and turned over to the San Luis Police Department for extradition.

The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 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 the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

U.S. Marshals Arrest Puerto Rico Most Wanted Fugitive After 14 Years

San Juan, PR – A major fugitive wanted on Puerto Rico state charges for his alleged participation in a 1998 murder of a man in Ponce, Puerto Rico was captured in Huntingdon Valley, PA, by the United States Marshals Service.

Carlos Rodriguez-Alcala was being sought on a State warrant issued in the District of Puerto Rico. He had been a fugitive from justice since 1998, when the Puerto Rico Police Department Homicide Division began investigating him for the brutal murder of a Ponce man as well as for several violations of Puerto Rico weapons laws.

Recently, the United States Marshals Service led Puerto Rico Violent Offenders Task Force became involved in the fugitive investigation and developed information that Carlos Rodriguez Alcala may be hiding in Pennsylvania working in the automotive sales industry. This information was passed on to the U.S. Marshals led Eastern District of Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force who was then able to arrest the fugitive at his work place in Huntingdon Valley, PA without incident. It was a swift arrest for this long sought after fugitive.

Carlos Morales Alcala is now awaiting extradition back to Puerto Rico to face his charges in Puerto Rico state court.

"The U.S. Marshals Service throughout the nation combines local and federal law enforcement resources to ensure that fugitives are captured no matter how long it takes. We will continue to hunt fugitives, find them, and make sure that they face their charges in court," said Orlando Rivera, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico.

Annually, investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals result in the apprehension of approximately 34,000 federal fugitives. More federal fugitives are arrested by U.S. Marshals than all other federal agencies combined.

U.S. Marshals Service led task forces are composed of a combination of local and federal law enforcement officers to combine their expertise and resources. The objective of these task forces is to seek out and arrest the worst violent offenders in each community. Last year, U.S. Marshals led task forces arrested more than 27,000 state and local fugitives on felony charges.

The U.S. Marshals Service led Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force is composed of law enforcement officers from the San Juan Municipal Police Department, the Puerto Rico State Police, the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections, the Puerto Rico State Treasury Department, the Puerto Rico Bureau of Investigation, the Puerto Rico National Guard and the United States Marshals Service.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

El Centro Sector Border Patrol Apprehends Suspected Murderer

Salton City, Calif. – CBP U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Border Patrol station arrested a 19-year-old United States citizen with an outstanding warrant for murder.

The incident occurred at the Highway 86 Checkpoint near Salton City at around 9:30 p.m., when a Border Patrol agent interviewed a male individual in the secondary inspection lanes. Record checks were performed on the individual and revealed a $10,000,000 warrant out of Los Angeles, California for murder. The individual was subsequently placed under arrest.

The suspect was turned over to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office and will be extradited to Los Angeles, California.

The El Centro Sector’s Community Awareness Campaign is a simple and effective program to raise public awareness on the indicators of crime and other threats. We encourage public and private sector employees to remain vigilant and play a key role in keeping our country safe. Please report any suspicious activity to the Border Community Threat Hotline at (800) 901-2003.

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 the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws

El Centro Sector Border Patrol Arrests Murder Suspect and Wanted Interpol Trafficker

Salton City, Calif. – Two individuals were arrested this weekend with warrants. One individual had a $10 million warrant for murder and the second individual had a warrant issued by Interpol for Italian law enforcement authorities.

The first arrest occurred on Friday at 9:30 p.m. at the Highway 86 Checkpoint near Salton City. Border Patrol agents performed record checks on an individual during a secondary inspection. The record checks revealed an outstanding $10 million warrant out of Los Angeles for murder. The individual is a 19-year-old United States citizen. He was turned over to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office for extradition to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

In a separate incident on Saturday evening, Border Patrol agents assigned to the Calexico station apprehended a Romanian national with an outstanding Interpol warrant for narcotic trafficking.

The Romanian national was arrested with a group of eight Romanians who attempted to illegally enter the United States. Record checks revealed that the suspect, a 31-year-old male, is wanted by Italian authorities on suspicion of drug trafficking. Through coordinated efforts, Border Patrol agents and Washington D.C. Interpol authorities confirmed the warrant of the wanted suspect.

The Border Patrol turned over custody of the suspect to Immigrations & Customs Enforcement for extradition proceedings to Italian authorities.

El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents have arrested 1,167 individuals with outstanding warrants since October 2011.

The El Centro Border Patrol’s “See Something, Say Something” Campaign is a simple and effective program to increase the safety and welfare of the Imperial Valley by bringing public awareness to the indicators of crime and other threats. The community plays a key role keeping our country safe by identifying and reporting suspicious or criminal activity. We encourage Imperial Valley residents to report any suspicious activity to the Border Community Threat Hotline at (800) 901-2003.

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 the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Border Patrol Agents in South Texas Arrest Murderer, Seize Marijuana Worth $460k, Recover 12 Rifles

Del Rio, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector seized nearly 600 pounds of marijuana, arrested a convicted murderer and seized 12 rifles last week. 

On Wednesday, Carrizo Springs Station agents stopped a 1999 Ford F-250 flat bed work truck, loaded with several large bundles of marijuana and arrested the driver. The bundles were discovered in hidden compartments located under several tool boxes mounted on the flatbed of the truck. The total amount of marijuana seized was 496.3 pounds worth $397,040. The case was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

On Friday, Uvalde Station agents assisted Zavala County deputies during a traffic stop of a 2002 Dodge truck near La Pryor. During the search of the vehicle, 12 rifles were discovered hidden within the doors of the truck. The case was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

On Sunday, Eagle Pass Station agents, working along the railroad tracks near Eagle Pass, arrested Aquiles Escobar-Diaz, 46, an undocumented immigrant from Honduras. During processing, agents discovered that Escobar-Diaz was previously deported from the United States and that in 1999 Escobar -Diaz was convicted of homicide in Wisconsin and sentenced to five years imprisonment. Escobar-Diaz will be removed from the United States and deported to Honduras.

Also on Sunday, Eagle Pass South Station agents discovered two large military-style duffel bags floating in the Rio Grande River. The bags contained 40 individual bricks of marijuana weighing 84.86 pounds, with an estimated street value of $67, 888. The contraband was turned over to DEA.

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 the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.