U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers announced on Apr. 8 the arrest of Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal, a foreign fugitive wanted in Sinaloa, Mexico for homicide charges.
The case highlights ICE's ongoing efforts to apprehend individuals considered public safety threats who are wanted for serious crimes outside the United States.
According to ICE, Angulo Bernal is accused of participating in the murder of a woman along with two accomplices on November 1, 2018. The group allegedly disposed of her body in El Tamarindo, Sinaloa before Angulo Bernal entered the U.S. at an unknown date and time. Authorities said he does not have any other criminal history reported within the United States.
ICE officers established surveillance at a residence in Lake Havasu City, Arizona early on March 31. At approximately 5:50 a.m., they observed Angulo Bernal entering a vehicle registered to him and conducted a targeted vehicle stop. He was positively identified through his Mexican identification card and previous immigration photographs before being arrested without incident and transported to the ICE Phoenix field office for processing.
“Thanks to ICE law enforcement, this monster wanted for murdering a woman in Mexico is off our streets. Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal is a cold-blooded killer and an example of who the media often refer to as a ‘non-criminals,’ because they only have heinous convictions in their home country,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Nearly 70% of ICE arrests have been convicted or charged with a crime in the United States. The actual arrests of public safety threats and criminals is much higher. From foreign fugitives, gang members, and terrorists, ICE is getting the worst of the worst off our streets and out of our country.”
Angulo Bernal will remain in ICE custody while his immigration proceedings continue.
