EL PASO — The newest list of top ten suspects wanted for violent crimes includes some of the border region’s most dangerous men, and U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies are turning to the public for help finding the fugitives.
“All of us recognize that there is no single agency that can succeed in this mission alone,” acting US Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner Pete Flores said.
The strong show of regional binational cooperation comes despite Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's recent announcement that the his government will “pause” relations with the U.S. Embassy.
During the press conference at the international Bridge of the Americas, Flores, along with half a dozen federal law enforcement leaders, unveiled the latest group of suspects. Their faces will appear on billboards, posters, and flyers on both sides of the border.
The suspects are wanted for a variety of crimes “including human smuggling, kidnapping extortion, illegal weapon trafficking and murder,” Flores said.
The Se Busca initiative seeks information from the public that helps authorities capture the suspects. The latest top ten list includes five new names including the first U.S. citizen Alberto Mariscal. He's wanted for sexual assault of a child and there are arrest warrants for him in Dallas and Houston.
People on both side of the U.S.-Mexico border can provide tips anonymously by calling, texting or sending a message via WhatsApp from anywhere to (915) 314-8194. The phone number connects to Border Patrol in El Paso.
“Se Busca operates very similarly to long time proven initiatives such as Neighborhood Watch, Crime Stoppers, FBI’s 10 Most Wanted and countless others that have proven successful through community engagement and law enforcement response,” El Paso Sector Border Patrol Chief Scott Good said.
The program is coordinated by the U.S. Border Patrol’s foreign operations branch in coordination with Mexican law enforcement. Both countries pick the suspects that on the top ten wanted list.
“The binational cooperation between the United States and Mexico enhances border security which positively impacts quality of life for local communities in both the United States and Mexico,” said Good.
Since the program started in 2019, information provided by the public has led to the arrest of 13 suspects including nine on the wanted list and four other fugitives not listed.
“Many of those who appeared last year are now behind bars and the result is better security for citizens on both sides of the border,” Chihuahua State Attorney General Cesar Gustavo Jauregui Moreno said
He credited a consistent effort and cross border cooperation for achieving "concrete results."
Jauregui Moreno said he had the support of the Governor of Chihuahua and a commitment to continue the initiative “to fight crime so every day the U.S.- Mexico border can be a safer place.”
The Se Busca initiative along this stretch of border covers the state of Chihuahua, West Texas, and New Mexico.
The lone woman on last year’s list was arrested in Las Cruces last October. The 29 year-old Mexican citizen was wanted for conspiracy to transport migrants, and under investigation in a case involving a missing 4-year-old child according to CBP.
The Se Busca campaign extends along the southwest border on both sides and includes the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas.
