CBP Highlights Top Apprehensions of 2011

Washington - U.S. Customs and Border Protection has compiled its list of top 10 apprehensions of 2011. This list illustrates the important role CBP’s officers and agents play in protecting the nation against threats to communities across the country, as well as enforcing the nation’s immigration laws. These apprehensions represent the most dangerous criminals apprehended on the border or at a port of entry across the country in 2011.

• CBP officers at LAX arrest a Salvadorian national accused of killing his own child. ( CBP in Los Angeles Captures Man Sought in Child's Death )
• CBP apprehends Latin King gang member with criminal history as he was attempting to leave the U.S. at the Douglas, Ariz., port of entry. ( CBP Officers Apprehend a Dangerous Gang Member At the Douglas Port of Entry )
• San Diego CBP officers stop murder suspects and bank robbers in one weekend along the California/Mexico border. ( CBP Officers Stop Fugitives Wanted for Homicide, Bank Robbery, and Other Offenses )
• CBP officers arrest alleged child rapist at Washington-Dulles International Airport upon arrival from Bolivia. The suspect was wanted in Fairfax County, Va. ( Alleged Child Rapist Arrest, Iran Jewelry Seizure and Cooked Crocodile Cap Busy Weekend for Dulles CBP )
• CBP officers at the San Ysidro port of entry caught a fugitive with an active, no bail felony warrant for a 1994 murder in Chicago – one of 18 persons with active warrants who attempted to enter the U.S. at ports of entry in one weekend along the California/Mexico border. ( CBP Catches Fugitive on Warrant for 1994 Chicago Homicide )
• A 66-year-old U.S. citizen wanted on child molestation charges was arrested at Miami International Airport as he attempted to board a plane to Haiti. (CBP Arrests Man Wanted On Child Molestation Charges )
• Border Patrol agents in Tucson arrested 10 dangerous criminals illegally entering the U.S. in one weekend on the Arizona border. The subjects' criminal backgrounds ranged from sexual assault to gang-related activity. (Border Patrol Agents Prevent 10 Dangerous Criminals from Entering U.S. )
• CBP officers apprehended a Canadian citizen/murder suspect in Blaine, Wash., as he applied for the NEXUS Trusted Traveler Program. (Oklahoma Fugitive Captured at Border in Wash. )
• Border Patrol agents assigned to El Centro Station, Calif., apprehended an illegal alien wanted for murder. ( Murder Suspect Apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol )
• CBP officers in Champlain, N.Y., arrested a wanted child molester in Florida. The U.S. lawful permanent resident was returning from Canada as a bus passenger to New York City. ( CBP Officers in Champlain, N.Y. Arrest Fugitive Wanted For Child Molestation )

In fiscal year 2011, CBP apprehended 340,000 people between the ports of entry and denied entry to more than 215,600 people attempting to enter the U.S. through an air, land or sea port of entry who were found inadmissible for immigration, customs, health, criminal or national security reasons.

Additionally, CBP officers at ports of entry arrested 8,195 people wanted for crimes, including murder, rape, assault, and robbery and U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested 87,334 people who had a record in the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, a law enforcement database of individuals with criminal charges and convictions.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.