Wanted Homicide Suspect Arrested in Smuggling Event

PLASTER CITY, Calif. – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a man with an active warrant for homicide during a smuggling event Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred at about 3:51 p.m., when agents encountered a navy-blue Chevy Silverado truck near the area of Evan Hewes Road in El Centro. The agents followed the truck westbound toward Plaster City. Agents observed several individuals trying to conceal themselves in the bed of the truck.    

Agents attempted to conduct a vehicle stop. The driver of the vehicle drove north onto Juliet Road, an Off-Highway Vehicle road, to attempt to evade agents. The driver was unsuccessful in his attempt and the vehicle got stuck near Superstition Mountain. Once the vehicle came to a stop, all nine individuals exited the bed of the truck and attempted to abscond on foot.   

After a brief search of the area, agents apprehended the driver and the nine individuals that fled on foot. Agents determined that all ten individuals were all undocumented and illegally present in the United States. The driver and the nine individuals were placed under arrest and transported to the El Centro Sector’s Centralized Processing Center for further processing.

Additionally, record checks for one of the nine individuals, a 26-year-old undocumented individual from Mexico, indicated that he has an active warrant for “Homicide” out of Orange County. The Costa Mesa Police Department will extradite the man.

The driver, a 23-year-old undocumented individual from Mexico, will be held in federal custody pending his arraignment for alien smuggling. The remaining eight undocumented individuals, all adult males, seven from Mexico and one from Guatemala, will be processed and removed from the United States.