Mexico murder suspect captured in Othello

OTHELLO — A man accused of murder in Mexico was taken into custody in Othello.

Jose De Jesus Barajas-Lopez, 30, of Mexico, was arrested on Aug. 16 in Othello by U.S. Border Patrol agents after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alerted them about an outstanding homicide warrant he had out for his arrest, according information made public Wednesday. Barajas-Lopez was transferred into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and he was placed into removal proceedings. He was ordered to be removed from the U.S. by an immigration judge last month, which led to ICE’s Removal and Operations (ERO) officers turning him over to Mexican officials on Wednesday.

He was transferred into the custody of representatives from Mexico’s Procuraduría General de la Republica (PGR) and Mexican immigration officials by the ERO’s Special Response Team at the San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego, according to a release from ICE. Barajas-Lopez is charged with murdering a man in the Mexican city of Tecomán in 2013. Witnesses to the incident told police Barajas-Lopez shot the male victim several times in the chest after an argument near a park.

“Protecting the American people from violent criminals is our top priority. We did that today by removing another foreign fugitive trying to evade justice by fleeing to the U.S.,” Bryan Wilcox, acting field office director for ERO in Seattle, said. “The ongoing cooperation between U.S. law enforcement and our counterparts in Mexico is a testament to our commitment to hold these fugitives accountable for their actions.”

People who have information about foreign fugitives are asked to call the ICE tip line at 866-347-2423. Tips can also be submitted online by visiting www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.