A former Mexican pastor wanted for child abuse has been arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in Southern California after a period on the run.
Suspect Salvador Suazo-Garcia was arrested on March 6 in Lemon Grove, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The individual is wanted in Mexico for acts involving child abuse. Detailed information about the case has not yet been released.
Suazo-Garcia legally entered the U.S. in May 2021. Subsequently, his visa was revoked when the allegations came to light.
Border Patrol agents in the San Diego sector conducted an investigation and surveillance prior to the arrest. The suspect was discovered while driving a truck with an electric company logo, similar to the case of a Catholic bishop in California who was intercepted at the airport while attempting to flee the U.S.
The arrest occurred without incident. Afterward, the individual was handed over to the Mexican Federal Attorney General's Office.
In a separate case, authorities arrested Silvia Del Rosario Torres-Castro in Anaheim on February 26. She is wanted for alleged involvement in a murder in Mexico, amid complex criminal activity near the border.
Torres-Castro illegally entered the U.S. in 2023 through the Imperial Beach area.
Both cases were uncovered through cross-border information sharing and targeted surveillance operations.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that the arrests demonstrate how individuals classified as having "no criminal record in the U.S." can still be wanted for serious crimes in other countries.
According to the agency's data, nearly 70% of undocumented immigrants arrested in the U.S. have prior criminal records or are facing charges in their home countries.
