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For Immediate Release

 Contact:
March 23, 2009 U.S. Marshals Service
District of New Mexico
Drew E. Koschny, Assistant Chief Deputy
505.205.4413 or
USMS Headquarters Public Affairs 202.307.9065
VIOLENT FUGITIVE CAPTURED BY U.S. MARSHALS
Albuquerque, New Mexico – A major fugitive wanted on outstanding state charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Intent to Commit a Violent Felony, Aggravated Burglary, and Bribery/Intimidation of a Witness has been arrested by a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Lubbock, Texas.

James Michael Cantrell of Phoenix, Arizona was being sought on warrants issued in Santa Fe, New Mexico charging him with the numerous offenses. Cantrell is accused of breaking into his ex-wife’s residence in Santa Fe and holding her and a male acquaintance at gunpoint for several hours.
Cantrell fled New Mexico, and U.S. Marshals and members of the Southwest Investigative Fugitive Task Force (SWIFT) developed information that Cantrell was hiding in the Lubbock area. U.S. Marshals, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and members of the Dallas/Ft. Worth FAST Task Force responded to investigative leads from New Mexico and apprehended Cantrell at a residence in Lubbock without incident.

Cantrell is currently being held in Lubbock pending extradition to New Mexico.

Annually, investigations carried out by the U.S. Marshals result in the apprehension of approximately 34,000 federal fugitives. More federal fugitives are arrested by Marshals than all other federal agencies combined.

The SWIFT Task Force is a team comprised of law enforcement officers from the New Mexico State Police, Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office, Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office, Rio Rancho Police Department and the New Mexico Probation and Parole Office. The task force objective is to seek out and arrest violent fugitives. Last year, U.S. Marshals task forces arrested more than 27,000 state and local fugitives on felony charges.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.