SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro’s Pedestrian West facility apprehended a Somali national for homicide and U.S. citizen for sexual assault.
The first incident occurred at about 4:10 p.m. on June. 26, when a 26-year-old man identified as Oscar Vela, a U.S. citizen, was escorted by Mexican officials to the San Ysidro’s Ped West facility. CBP officers working the pedestrian facility took custody of the man, and escorted him to a secure area for further review.
A CBP officer conducted a query of the man’s fingerprints utilizing the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), confirming his identity and revealing that he was the subject of an outstanding felony warrant for sexual assault issued at the request of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office with bail set at $1 million. The man was turned over to the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force.
The next day at about 9:50 a.m. on June. 27, a CBP officer working at San Ysidro’s Ped West facility encountered a 38-year-old Legal Permanent Resident, later identified as Mohamed Abdullahi, was found to have a warrant for his arrest. The CBP officer referred the man into secondary for further review.
A CBP officer conducting queries confirmed that he was the subject of an outstanding felony warrant for homicide –stabbing with knife, issued at the request of the Columbus Police Department in Columbus, Ohio with no bail set. The man was taken to San Diego County Jail pending extradition.
“It is crucial for CBP to maintain working partnerships not only with our local law enforcement agencies but our Mexican counterparts as well,” said Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations for CBP in San Diego. “These two apprehensions are a testimony to how determined CBP officers are in protecting America’s borders.”
Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.