C.B.P. News Release

CBP Officers Arrest Fugitive Wanted for Child Molestation, Seizes $1.6 Million in Narcotics over Weekend

(Monday, November 16, 2009)

San Diego — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working the six ports of entry on the California border with Mexico over the weekend apprehended 13 wanted fugitives including a man wanted for child molestation, seized narcotics valued at $1.6 million, and stopped 275 people from entering the country illegally.

CBP officers made these apprehensions from 6 a.m. on Friday through 6 a.m. today.

On Sunday, November 15 at 7 a.m. a CBP officer encountered 31-year-old Carlos Fonseca Palacios, a U.S. citizen and resident of Spanaway, Wash., when he entered the San Ysidro port of entry as a pedestrian. When the officer ran Fonseca’s name against law enforcement databases, he was alerted that Fonseca was wanted and escorted him to the secondary area for further investigation.

During the secondary investigation, officers confirmed Fonseca was wanted by the Tacoma County Sheriff’s Office on a no bail warrant for sexual assault/child molestation in the second degree and child molestation in the third degree. He was arrested and booked into San Diego Central Jail to await extradition.

Officers also captured 12 other fugitives wanted for crimes such as burglary, fraud, and parole violations.

During the weekend, CBP officers intercepted 633 pounds of narcotics that included marijuana, methamphetamine, and cocaine in 14 separate incidents and seized the vehicles associated with the smuggling attempts.

CBP officers stopped a total of 275 persons illegally attempting to enter the country using a variety of methods, including: using passports and other documents that did not belong to them, counterfeit documents, and attempting to avoid the inspection process altogether by being hidden in the trunk of vehicles.

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 the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Contacts For This News Release
Angelica De Cima
CBP Public Affairs
Phone: (619) 652-9966 Ext: 192
Fax: (619) 645-6641

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