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News Release
CBP Catches Fugitive from 2012 California Homicide Trying to Use Altered ID to Sneak Into US
SAN DIEGO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro port of entry Sunday stopped a homicide suspect attempting to sneak into the United States using an altered form of identification.
“We are pleased that we can help bring closure to this outstanding homicide case from more than three years ago,” said Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations for the San Diego Field Office. “CBP officers caught this fugitive as he attempted to illegally sneak back into the U.S., and now he will face justice.”
On April 10, at about 7 a.m., the 37-year-old man arrived at the port of entry on foot, and presented the CBP officer conducting his inspection a legal permanent resident card.
Although the photo on the card matched the man, the CBP officer suspected that the document was fraudulent, and referred the man for a more intensive inspection.
Using his fingerprints and the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), CBP officers confirmed that the man was Francisco Javier Navarro, which did not match the name printed on the legal permanent resident card. In fact, officers determined that the legal permanent resident card he had presented was altered.
CBP officers performing a standard inquiry of law enforcement databases also confirmed that Navarro has an outstanding warrant for homicide, issued at the request of the Salinas Police Department, with bail set at $1.7 million. According to the Salinas Police Department, Navarro is wanted in connection with the shooting of his brother-in-law on Christmas Eve 2012. [http://news.salinaspd.com/index.cfm/Homicide_Update_5277.htm]
Navarro is a Mexican citizen with no legal ability to enter the U.S. He was temporarily paroled into the U.S. and booked into jail to face charges.
In fiscal year 2014, CBP officers along the California/Mexico border caught more than 2,000 fugitives with active warrants. [http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2015-01-26-000000/cbp-announces-fiscal-year-2014-achievements-southern]
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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 official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.