Jan 24, 2008 4:45 pm US/Eastern
1 Of ICE's Most Wanted Caught In Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
One of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's 10 Most Wanted fugitives -- suspected of involvement in several gang- and drug- related murders -- was under arrest Thursday, authorities said.
David Rivera, 33, whose criminal history includes arrests on sexual assault and drug charges as well as a conviction for gun possession, was
arrested Wednesday afternoon in an apartment complex in the Rampart section of Los Angeles, according to ICE.
Rivera attempted to escape out the back of the property before agents
nabbed him, ICE said.
Rivera was on ICE's list of 10 Most Wanted fugitives, the agency reported. He had been sought by authorities for four years.
Rivera is a member of the MS-13 street gang who had been deported and illegally re-entered the country, ICE alleged.
If convicted of re-entering the country after being deported, Rivera could receive up to 20 years in federal prison.
He is expected to make his initial court appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles, ICE said.
In addition to Rivera, ICE agents and detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart Division also arrested two other suspected gang associates on immigration violations, ICE said.
"This arrest is the pay-off for perseverance, great police work and partnership with local law enforcement," said Jennifer Silliman, deputy special agent in charge of the ICE office of investigations in Los Angeles.
"We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement counterparts in Los Angeles to target gang members like this man who put our communities and neighborhoods at risk," she said
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
