A Bellingham man wanted in Texas on a charge of sex abuse of a child is in police custody after being arrested last month at the Peace Arch border crossing.
The southbound 37-year-old was identified during a routine inspection June 25 and taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers after a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) warrant alerted them to the charges.
After the warrant was confirmed by law enforcement officials in Texas, a Whatcom County sheriff’s office deputy took custody of the man.
“I am proud of the great work our officers demonstrated in stopping this fugitive,” port director Kenneth L. Williams said in a news release Thursday afternoon.
“Their vigilance keeps our communities safe.”
NCIC is a centralized automated database designed to share information among law enforcement agencies including outstanding warrants for a wide range of offenses.
Based on information from NCIC, U.S. border patrol officers have made previous arrests of individuals wanted for homicide, escape, money laundering, robbery, narcotics distribution, sexual child abuse, fraud, larceny, and military desertion.
'Hail of ecstasy'
A Port Coquitlam resident facing charges south of the border in connection with a hail of ecstasy pills on the I-5 nine years ago has been delivered to U.S. authorities by Surrey RCMP.
According to a news release issued June 22 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security last week, the 58-year-old woman was wanted for failing to appear on dangerous-drug charges.
She was turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Peace Arch (Douglas) port.
The incident in question occurred in 2007. U.S. officials say ecstasy pills "rained down like hail over the freeway" after the modified roof compartment of a vehicle flew open on the I-5.
Surrey RCMP escorted the woman to the port, where she was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Collaboration leads to fugitive's arrest
A Cuban man wanted since April for escaping custody in Tacoma is back behind bars after being discovered in Blaine on June 21.
According to a news release issued last Monday (June 27) by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the 54-year-old was taken into custody without incident at the Peace Arch (Douglas) port, after a routine check revealed a warrant out of Thurston County.
“We enjoy an outstanding relationship with our Canadian counterparts,” said area port director Kenneth Williams. “That collaboration keeps both of our communities safe.”
FBI arrest warrant derails visit to mom
A 64-year-old New York man heading via Amtrak from Vancouver to visit his mom in Redmond was arrested at the Peace Arch (Douglas) border last month.
According to a news release issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on June 20, border officers were alerted to the passenger – who had an outstanding FBI felony warrant for wire fraud out of New York – by authorities in Vancouver.
When the train arrived, he was taken into custody and transported to the Whatcom County Sheriff's office, where he was transferred to FBI custody.
Port director Kenneth Williams said such inter-agency arrests occur "on a daily basis."
“CBP officers are well-versed in arrest involving criminals wanted by other law enforcement agencies," Williams said in the news release. "Wire fraud is a serious crime and the FBI can now bring this individual to justice now that he has been located.”