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Phoenix, AZ – Last night, Deputy U.S.
Marshals coordinated the arrest and return of Michael Jefferson, 28, from Los
Alogodones, Baja California, Mexico. Jefferson was subsequently arrested by
American authorities at the Calexico U.S. Port of Entry in California. Jefferson
was wanted by the Chandler Police Department after having been charged with
numerous crimes including, Illegal Control of an Enterprise, Money Laundering,
Fraudulent Schemes, Taking the ID of Another and Trafficking the Identity of
Another. After a three week criminal trial in Maricopa County Superior Court,
Jefferson was found guilty by a jury of the above offenses, knowing this
Jefferson failed to appear to be taken into custody and fled.
On October 27, 2011, Deputy U.S. Marshals and Chandler Police Detectives
assigned to the Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force developed information
that Jefferson likely fled into Mexico to avoid capture. Deputy U.S. Marshals
assigned to the Mexico Investigative Liaison Program quickly tapped into their
resources south of the International Border which resulted in the arrest of
Jefferson by the Baja California, Mexico State Police and Mexican Immigration.
Jefferson was taken before Mexican immigration authorities and volunteered to
return to the United States. Subsequently, Jefferson was arrested by American
authorities and booked into the Imperial County Jail in El Centro, California
where he will await extradition to Arizona. According to Mexican authorities, it
is believed that Jefferson had quickly started a similar illegal operation
during his short stay in Mexico.
U.S. Marshal David Gonzales praised the work of everyone involved in the arrest
stating, “This arrest is a great example that fugitives will not find safe haven
in Mexico. The relationships we have with our counterparts south of the
International Border are very strong and we work together to bring violent
offenders, sex
offenders, and career criminals to justice.”
This arrest comes on the heels of a busy week for the Arizona WANTED Violent
Offender Task Force. In addition to this arrest, Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task
Force Officers worked very closely with our Task Force partner agencies this
week with the arrest of numerous violent offenders including, Norman Corley, 37,
wanted
by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office for First degree Murder. Also, Task Force members worked closely with the Mesa Police Department resulting in the arrests
of Roy Cortez, 23, and Luis Garcia, 26, both of whom were arrested for their
involvement in the murder of a Mesa man on October 27, 2011.
These arrests are good examples of the work done on a daily basis by the Deputy
U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers assigned to the Arizona WANTED Violent
Offender Task Force. Arizona WANTED is a Task Force comprised of over 20
federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies across the state of
Arizona and staffed by over 120 Deputies, Agents and Detectives from these
various agencies. This collaboration has resulted in the arrest of over 3,000
violent offenders, sex offenders and career criminal wanted both here in Arizona
and from across the country being pursued by other U.S. Marshals-led Violent
Offender Task Forces so far during 2011.
The United States Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law
enforcement agency. Annually, U.S. Marshals arrest more than 50 percent of all
federal fugitives and serve more federal warrants than all other federal
agencies combined.
For more information on USMS Fifteen Most Wanted
fugitives and USMS Major
Cases, go to www.usmarshals.gov.
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America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency |
