September 29, 09

NEWS / CBP in San Diego Apprehends 3 Fugitives with Homicide Warrants

Also Stop 3 Cars with Illegal Aliens in Hidden Compartments

San Diego — This weekend, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro border crossing apprehended three fugitives with homicide warrants and stopped a car with four persons hidden in a floor compartment, while officers at the Otay Mesa border crossing stopped two cars with illegal aliens hidden in compartments from entering the United States.


On Friday, September 25 at about 8:30 a.m. a 37-year-old male Mexican citizen and resident of Tijuana walked up to a CBP agent working in the pedestrian entranceway to the San Ysidro port of entry and stated that there was a warrant for his arrest in the United States, he would like to turn himself in, and he was an illegal alien.

CBP officers at the port determined that there was a warrant for his arrest for homicide, issued by the Los Angeles Police Department, with bail set at $2.1 million. The fugitive, who had no legal documents to enter the United States, was detained, and turned over to the LAPD.


On Sunday, September 17 at about 6 a.m., a 24-year-old male U.S. citizen and resident of Stockton, Calif. attempted to enter the United States on foot at the San Ysidro port of entry. CBP officers discovered a no-bail warrant for his arrest for homicide, issued by the Stockton Police Department, and detained the fugitive.


Also on Sunday, at about 4:30 p.m., a 25-year-old male Mexican citizen, and legal permanent resident of Northridge, Calif. turned himself in to CBP authorities at the San Ysidro port of entry, stating he believed there was a warrant out for his arrest. CBP officers confirmed the no-bail warrant for homicide, issued by the Los Angeles Police Department, and detained him.


On Friday, September 25 at about 9:15 p.m., CBP officers stopped the driver of a white pick-up truck waiting in the line to cross the border into the United States at the Otay Mesa port of entry. While questioning the 30-year-old female Mexican citizen, and legal permanent resident of Corona, Calif., the officer noticed discrepancies with the vehicle’s rear seat, and pulled the driver and vehicle aside for further inspection.


CBP officers discovered a 39-year-old male Mexican citizen hidden behind the rear seat, in between the seat and the back panel of the truck’s cabin. The hidden person had no legal documents to enter the United States. Officers arrested the driver on human trafficking charges; the illegal alien will be a material witness for the prosecution in the case.


On Saturday, September 26 at about 11 a.m., a 40-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a white 1992 Ford van applied for admission to the United States at the Otay Mesa port of entry. Because the driver showed signs of nervousness, and provided answers that were inconsistent with the officer’s questions, the CBP officer directed the driver and vehicle aside for further inspection.


An x-ray examination of the vehicle revealed anomalies with the van’s rear seat. Officers discovered the back seat contained persons hidden in two compartments: one person lying across the bench seat and another hidden in the seat’s back rest. Both men, ages 33 and 40, were Mexican citizens with no legal documents to enter the United States. One of the hidden persons will be a material witness for the prosecution; the other was returned to Mexico. The driver is currently being held at the San Diego Metropolitan Correctional Center pending federal human trafficking charges


Finally, Monday morning at about 6:45 a.m., CBP officers at the Otay Mesa port of entry referred a 36-year-old female U.S. citizen driving a green minivan with her 5-year-old daughter for a more thorough inspection.


An officer screened the vehicle with a detector dog, and received an alert. Upon further inspection, officers discovered a hidden compartment in the floor of the minivan, welded to the bottom of the vehicle, with four persons hidden inside, all Mexican citizens with no legal documents to enter the United States: three females, ages 18, 41, and 54, and one male, age 39.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/09282009_3.xml

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