More Fugitives Caught On California Border With Mexico; Less Elsewhere
SAN DIEGO -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reports catching more fugitives along the U.S.-Mexico border in California in 2011.
Officers caught about 2,000 fugitives last year. That's a 15 percent jump from 2010.
The New Year holiday weekend was especially good for agents along the California-Mexico border: 20 fugitives were taken into custody.
Jackie Wasiluk is a spokeswoman with CBP. She says some of the fugitives were wanted for serious crimes.
"We had two that really stood out," Wasiluk said. "We had one person wanted for kidnapping and another one who was apprehended by Mexican authorities who was turned over to us and wanted for murder charges."
Wasiluk attributes the rise in fugitive arrests to increased border security over the past couple of years, which included new initiatives and technology.
But California's figures don't reflect what's happening in other border states. In Arizona, fugitive arrests dropped about 15% in 2011. New Mexico and Texas also reported catching fewer wanted criminals along the border.
