Mexican pastor wanted for child sex abuse collared by border agents after escaping to California

A former pastor from Mexico accused of sex crimes against a minor was apprehended by US Border Patrol agents in Southern California after fleeing his native country. Salvador Suazo-Garcia, wanted in Mexico for lewd and lascivious acts involving a child, was arrested in Lemon Grove on March 6, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Suazo-Garcia entered the US legally in May 2021 but had his visa revoked due to the allegations against him. Border Patrol agents from the San Diego Sector conducted an investigation and surveillance of Suazo-Garcia before making the arrest. He was driving a truck with the logo of an electrical company when he was apprehended.

Authorities tracked Suazo-Garcia through cross-border intelligence sharing and handed him over to Mexico’s federal Attorney General’s Office. Details of his alleged sex crimes in Mexico were not disclosed.

In a separate incident, agents in Anaheim arrested Silvia Del Rosario Torres-Castro, a Mexican national wanted for homicide. Torres-Castro entered the US illegally in 2023 and was apprehended by authorities in Anaheim on February 26. She was subsequently turned over to Mexican officials, and the details of the alleged murder in Mexico were not provided.

Both fugitives had been on the run in the US and were finally caught through targeted surveillance by Border Patrol agents. DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis emphasized that migrants labeled as “non-criminal” in the US can still be wanted for serious crimes in other countries.

Nearly 70% of illegal immigrants arrested by ICE nationwide have criminal convictions or pending charges in the US, according to DHS. Bis highlighted the importance of law enforcement in ensuring that dangerous criminal illegal aliens are brought to justice.

The arrests of Suazo-Garcia and Torres-Castro underscore the ongoing efforts by Border Patrol agents to track down individuals wanted for serious crimes both in the US and abroad. By collaborating with international law enforcement agencies and utilizing targeted surveillance, authorities are able to apprehend fugitives who pose a threat to public safety.