Category: US Marshals Service

Source: US Marshals Service

Miami, FL – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force (FCRFTF) May 29 arrested a man suspected of preying on a child for sexual purposes. 

Eduin Quintero Rugama, 43, is charged with capitol sexual battery of a child under the age of 12 and lewd/lascivious molestation of a minor.  It is alleged that on more than 10 occasions, the suspect preyed on the victim and committed heinous acts against Florida law.  

USMS FCRFTF personnel collaborated with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office in locating and arresting Rugama.  When investigators learned Rugama was in the area of NW 6th Court in Miami, they conducted a surveillance operation, observing him entering a vehicle and taking him into custody without incident as he exited the vehicle in the 600 Block of NW 6th Court.  

Rugama was transported and turned over to the Special Victims Bureau to be interviewed and booked on the charges. 

Since 2008, the Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force has focused resources and efforts on the enhancement of public safety and the reduction of violence within the Florida/Caribbean Region, through the identification, investigation, and apprehension of fugitives wanted for egregious crimes against the community, while ensuring the equal application of Justice, Integrity, and Service for all. The FCRFTF has partnership agreements with federal and state and local agencies that operate in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FCRFTF has apprehended more than 67,000 fugitives since its inception and is always striving to make communities safer. 
 

Source: US Marshals Service

Henderson, TN – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested Branden Walker, 26, who was wanted for a shooting in Henderson.

Around 1 a.m. on June 1, 2025, Henderson police responded to a shooting call on Sanford Street. Officers determined that an occupied apartment had been struck multiple times by gunfire. Investigators identified a suspect as Branden Walker, of Union City, TN.

On June 4, a warrant was issued through Chester County General Sessions Court charging Walker with Attempted First-Degree Murder and Reckless Endangerment.

The USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force in Jackson was requested to assist in locating and arresting Walker.

On June 11, the task force tracked Walker to a location in the 5000 block of Ken Tenn Highway in South Fulton, TN. Deputy marshals and task force officers took Walker into custody without incident. The Obion County Sheriff’s Office transported him to the Obion County Jail.

The U.S. Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Gibson County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 3,000 violent offenders and sexual predators.

Source: US Marshals Service

Canton, OH – Last night, members of the US Marshals led, Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) and the Canton Police Department arrested Floyd Jones, 42 and Angela Parr, 52, in Canton, OH. Jones was wanted for second degree murder out of the Miami Dade Sheriff’s Office and failure to appear on a weapons offense out of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Parr was wanted by the Canton Police Department for assault.

Task force members developed information that led them to believe Jones and Parr were staying at a residence together in the 1200 block of Tuscarawas Street E. Last night, task force members knocked and announced their presence at the residence and immediately took Parr into custody. Jones barricaded himself inside the residence, which initiated a call out of the Canton Regional SWAT. The Canton Regional SWAT team was able to safely place Jones under arrest after a brief standoff. Jones was booked into the Stark County Jail where he will await his extradition back to Florida.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “The strong partnership between the US Marshals Service and the Canton Police Department resulted in a safe arrest of these two violent fugitives last night. When these fugitives barricade and refuse to comply, they jeopardize the safety of the public and our officers.”

Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.  Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.  

The NOVFTF Canton Division consists of the following federal, state and local agencies:  United States Marshals Service, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Stark County Sheriff’s Office, Canton Police Department, Carrollton Police Department, Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, North Canton Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Perry Township Police Department, Stark County Park District, and Stark County Probation.

Source: US Marshals Service

Philadelphia, PA — On June 11th, members of the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force arrested Jamal Burkett, 53, in the 7900 block of Lindbergh Boulevard in Philadelphia. In 2023, Burkett was sentenced to 192 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to assault on a federal officer and weapons possession. The charges stemmed from Burkett discharging a firearm multiple times at a Philadelphia Police Officer who was assigned to a federal task force. Burkett was mistakenly released on May 14th from the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility after local charges were satisfied. An audit conducted by the Marshal Service on June 10th alerted to Burkett’s release and a warrant was immediately issued by the United States District Court for failure to surrender for an imposed federal sentence.

This morning, at approximately 7:00 a.m., members of the fugitive task force surrounded a family members apartment in southwest Philadelphia where they believed Burkett was hiding. Burkett was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Federal Detention Center.

Robert Clark, Supervisory Deputy for the fugitive task force stated, “Anyone who discharges a firearm at police officers must pay for their actions. Capturing Burkett in less than 24 hours after being notified of his release is truly exceptional.”

The Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force is a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent crime fugitives. Membership agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Parole Officers, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General Agents, Immigration Customs Enforcement, Chester Police Department, Bucks County Sheriffs, and Delaware County Sheriffs.

Source: US Marshals Service

Austin, TX – Members of the U.S. Marshals-led Lone Star Fugitive Task Force Friday arrested a juvenile* who was sought for a May 3 homicide in Austin.

The juvenile, 13, was arrested and charged with capital murder from an incident that occurred at the intersection of Ross Road and Thome Valley Drive on May 3.

The Austin Police Department, Homicide Division investigated the deadly incident and obtained an arrest warrant in the Travis County Magistrate Court on June 4.

The Homicide Division requested assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in the Austin Division to locate and apprehend the juvenile.

Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force conducted a fugitive investigation where task force officers surrounded a residence in the 1800 block of Post Road in San Marcos, where the juvenile was arrested following a barricaded situation. 

A search warrant was conducted on the residence that yielded a seizure of a .40 caliber pistol. The juvenile was transferred to Austin Police and arraigned in the Austin Municipal Court.

Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin:

Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit
Georgetown, Round Rock, and San Marcos Police Department
Hays, Travis, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office
Texas Attorney General’s Office
Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG
Texas Department of Public Safety
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations

*USMS policy generally prohibits naming juvenile suspects.

Source: US Marshals Service

San Juan, PR – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) today apprehended a Dominican man suspected in a quadruple homicide Aug. 31, 2024, near Rochester, New York, in which two of the victims were children, ages 2 and 4.

Luis Francisco Soriano, aka Jefry Yevo, 31, who was wanted by the Irondequoit, New York, Police Department on four charges of second-degree murder and charges of narcotics, was added to the USMS District of Puerto Rico’s Top 10 Most Wanted fugitives list Sept. 23, 2024. 

Investigations conducted by the USMS in Puerto Rico, in collaboration with the USMS New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, revealed that Soriano fled by boat to the Dominican Republic after becoming aware of the presence of federal marshals on the island.

After investigators developed information that Soriano was employed at a hotel in Punta Cana, members of the USMS stationed in Santo Domingo, working in coordination with Dominican authorities, arrested him without incident after he completed his shift at the hotel’s call center.

“Without a doubt, this is an exceptional job by the Deputy U.S. Marshals of the U.S. Marshals Service, both nationally and internationally,” said Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico. “It is truly worthy of recognition, and our communities should feel reassured knowing that this fugitive has been captured and will face justice. Every case is important to us, but this one not only deeply impacted our communities in New York and Puerto Rico, it shook our entire nation. The horrific nature of this crime, which resulted in the tragic death of a family, including two innocent children, rocked the very foundation of our society governed by law and order.” 

Soriano will remain in the custody of Dominican authorities pending his extradition proceedings.

U.S. Marshal Ocasio recognized the outstanding work of all USMS districts, divisions and units involved, including the Office of International Operations, the Western District of New York, the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Puerto Rico Violent Offender Task Force, extending special thanks to the members of the public who, from the beginning, provided key information that contributed to the successful apprehension of this dangerous fugitive.

The U.S. Marshals Service urges the public to continue supporting its efforts to locate fugitives. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the USMS local office at (787) 766-6297, call the USMS Communications Center at 1 (800) 336-0102, or submit tips via the USMS Tips app. You may also contact our case agents directly at (787) 306-9411 or (787) 412-1462.

Source: US Marshals Service

On April 7, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) held a blood drive at its headquarters in Arlington, VA. The blood drive and its timing were set up to honor four law enforcement officers who were killed on duty in North Carolina just one year ago, on April 29, 2924.

Joshua Eyer, William Alden Elliott, Samuel Poloche, and Thomas “Tommy” Weeks Jr. were executing a fugitive apprehension operation as part of the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force when the suspect shot out, injuring eight law enforcement officers and ultimately killing four. This attack is believed to be the deadliest against U.S. law enforcement officers in eight years. Officers Sam Poloche and William Elliot both were part of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, Officer Joshua Eyer was from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and Tommy was a Deputy U.S. Marshal working in the Western District of North Carolina.

To honor their service, and to help collect blood that can be used to help others critically injured, the USMS hosted the inaugural Heroes Blood Drive. Donating blood is important, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Whether from surgery, chronic illness treatment, or traumatic injuries, people need blood that can only come from donations.

While the initial goal for the USMS blood drive was 35 donations, these expectations were quickly exceeded. People from the USMS, the State Department, the Department of Justice, and Homeland Security Investigations donated. Even with having to delay the start of the blood drive due to inclement weather, 76 donations were made that day. Additionally, 58% of those who donated were first time donors with the Red Cross.

The USMS also hosted a partner blood drive in North Carolina in the Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force space a few weeks later. They had 33 units of life saving blood donated that day. Of those, a high percentage were first time donors and five were Power Red donations. Power Red donations collect double the amount of red blood cells while the remaining blood components are returned to the donor. This allows for a donor to double the impact of their individual donation.

The inaugural Heroes Blood Drive had an impressive showing to commemorate the fallen heroes with a righteous cause. Those donating blood were also able to learn live saving first aid and CPR skills. With the tremendous success of this year’s Heroes Blood Drive, everyone hopes to see a similar, if not larger, turnout next year.

If you were unable to participate in the blood drive at USMS HQ or Charlotte, and would like to donate in honor of any of our fallen heroes, you can sign up to donate at your local Red Cross here: https://rcblood.org/4iToXtg.  

Source: US Marshals Service

Bedford Heights, OH – Today, the U.S. Marshals led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) arrested Tyrell Chandler, 28. Chandler was wanted by the Bedford Police Department for aggravated murder.

On March 7, 2025, officers with the Bedford Police Department located Clarence Houston inside a vehicle on Northfield Road near Rockside Road. Houston had suffered a gunshot wound and was transported via EMS to MetroHealth Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

Tyrell Chandler was later identified as being involved in this deadly incident and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Today, members of the NOVFTF and the Bedford Heights Police Department arrested Chandler at an apartment in the 5900 block of Bear Creek Drive, Bedford Heights, Ohio. A Bedford Heights Police Department K9 was utilized during the search of the apartment and ultimately located and apprehended Chandler.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott stated, “Today’s arrest is another example of the outstanding partnerships in northern Ohio between our fugitive task force and local police departments. At a moment’s notice, the Bedford Heights Police Department deployed officers, including a K9, to assist our task force during the arrest of this violent fugitive.”

Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.  Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.  

Source: US Marshals Service

Spokane, WA – The U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is working closely with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, Washington State Department of Corrections, Washington State Patrol, and the Wenatchee Police Department to locate and apprehend Travis Caleb Decker. Decker is suspected of kidnapping and murdering his three young daughters this past weekend. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information directly leading to Decker’s arrests. The suspect is not known to be armed now but should be considered dangerous.

On May 30, the Wenatchee Police Department responded to a report of three young girls (ages 9, 8, and 5) not being returned to their mother following a scheduled visitation with their father, Decker, a 32-year-old resident of the Wenatchee area and former military member with extensive tactical training.
Law enforcement started an investigation immediately. After an Endangered Missing Person Alert was issued, a multi-agency search effort was launched across Chelan County.

On June 2, Decker’s vehicle was located in Leavenworth. A search of the immediate area led to the discovery of the deceased bodies of all three children. Decker was not located and is currently at large.

Arrest warrants were initially issued for Custodial Interference, later upgraded to Murder 1st Degree (3 counts) and Kidnapping 1st Degree (3 counts) following the recovery of the victims.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals or local law enforcement immediately, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102 or USMS Tip at http://www.usmarshals.gov/tips.

The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest, and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives.

Source: US Marshals Service

Austin, TX – The U.S. Marshals, working with the U.S. Department of State and Panamanian officials, have returned to Travis County a man who had been sought by the Austin Police Department on an aggravated robbery warrant issued April 2, 2024. 

Brayan Estiven Rios, 29, was wanted by the Austin police for a robbery that occurred July 19, 2022, in the 2500 block of Francisco Street.  According to the affidavit, a victim reported to have been forced into a vehicle at gunpoint and instructed to withdraw a large sum of money from her bank account. 

In April, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office worked together to facilitate the extradition of Rios, who was intercepted by officials in Panama.

On May 22, Panamanian officials transferred Rios to the USMS for extradition back to the United States.  After arriving at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport, Rios was transported and booked into the Travis County Jail, where he will await further judicial proceedings. 

The Department of Homeland Security filed an immigration detainer on Rios, who is a Colombian national and has no legal status in the United States. 

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Panamanian authorities to secure the extradition of Rios.

Members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in Austin – 

Austin Police Department-Tactical Intelligence Unit
Round Rock, and San Marcos Police Department
Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office
Texas Attorney General’s Office
Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG
Texas Department of Public Safety
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
U.S. DHS/Homeland Security Investigations