Border Patrol in California Arrests Two Mexican Fugitives Wanted for Homicide and Child Sex Crimes
DHS says U.S. Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector, working with Mexican authorities, arrested two Mexican nationals in Southern California in late February and early March who were wanted in Mexico on serious charges including homicide and lewd acts upon a child. Agents arrested Silvia Del Rosario Torres‑Castro on Feb. 26 in Anaheim after coordinated surveillance; officials say she had crossed the border illegally in December 2023 through the Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station’s area. On March 6, agents separately arrested Salvador Suazo‑Garcia in Lemon Grove; DHS says he entered the U.S. legally in May 2021 but later had his visa revoked after Mexican authorities accused him of lewd and lascivious acts on a child. Both were turned over to Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República for prosecution, and Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis used the cases to argue that Biden‑era policies allow "dangerous criminal illegal aliens" to move inside the U.S., citing DHS figures that roughly 70% of ICE arrests involve people with U.S. criminal convictions or pending charges. The operations highlight ongoing cross‑border fugitive tracking and fuel political debate over how well U.S. border and visa systems screen for serious foreign charges before or after entry.
📌 Key Facts
- On Feb. 26, 2026, Border Patrol San Diego Sector agents arrested Mexican national Silvia Del Rosario Torres‑Castro in Anaheim, California, under a Mexican homicide warrant.
- On March 6, 2026, agents arrested Mexican national Salvador Suazo‑Garcia in Lemon Grove, California, wanted in Mexico for lewd and lascivious acts upon a child; his earlier U.S. visa had been revoked.
- DHS says Torres‑Castro crossed the border illegally in December 2023 via the Imperial Beach Station’s area, while Suazo‑Garcia entered legally in May 2021, and both were turned over to Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República.
- DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News that nearly 70% of ICE arrests involve immigrants with U.S. criminal convictions or pending charges and framed the two cases as examples of dangerous offenders labeled "non‑criminal" because they lacked U.S. records.
📊 Relevant Data
The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 abolished the national origins quota system, leading to a significant increase in immigration from Latin America, including Mexico, with the number of Mexican immigrants in the US rising from about 760,000 in 1970 to over 11 million by 2010.
U.S. Immigration Since 1965 - Impact, Results & Summary — HISTORY
In 2022, nearly four million Californians were born in Mexico, making Mexico the top country of origin for California's foreign-born population, which constitutes 27% of the state's total population of about 39 million.
California Migration History 1850-2022 — University of Washington
Mexican migration to the US has been driven by factors including violence and extortion in Mexico, with a 2022 survey finding that 90% of Mexican migrants cited these as reasons for leaving, alongside economic opportunities in the US.
Why Six Countries Account for Most Migrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border — Council on Foreign Relations
Immigration in California during the 1970s and 1980s lowered wages for high school dropouts by 10-16% annually, equivalent to $2,250 to $3,800, particularly affecting low-skilled workers.
The Impact of Immigration on California — Center for Immigration Studies
California's immigrant population grew by only 8% from 2010 to 2024 (about 800,000 people), slower than the 37% increase from 1990 to 2000, with a shift toward more high-skilled immigrants from Asia and fewer low-skilled from Latin America.
Immigrants in California — Public Policy Institute of California
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