Mexican Murder Fugitive Arrested with Migrant Group at Border

San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended a Mexican murder fugitive who illegally crossed the border with a group of migrants.

A San Diego Sector scope operator observed a group of six migrants climbing over the primary border fence near Imperial Beach, California, on March 8, officials reported this week. The migrants then cut a hole in the secondary border barrier and climbed through the hole, according to information obtained from San Diego Sector Border Patrol officials.

Border Patrol agents caught up with the six illegal aliens a short distance north of the border barrier. An immigration interview revealed the migrants came to the U.S. from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras and had no documentation allowing legal presence in the United States, officials stated. The agents arrested the six men on immigration violations and transported them to the Border Patrol station for identification and a biometric background investigation.

During the background investigation, the agents learned that one of the men, 26-year-old Antonio Santiago-Ruiz is wanted for homicide in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Officials coordinated with Mexican law enforcement authorities and turned the wanted killer over to representatives of the Government of Mexico on March 13 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

“While criminals persist in their illegal activity, we too are persistent,” San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said in a written statement. “The arrest of Antonio Santiago-Ruiz illustrates this well. We can be thankful that agents arrested this individual who attempted to escape justice.”

Officials processed the three Mexican men, one Honduran man, and a Guatemalan man for expedited removal for immigration violations. The will face deportation to their countries of origin.