Convicted Murderer Caught Crossing Border In Migrant Caravan

United States Border Patrol agents arrested three men as part of a migrant caravan attempting to enter the U.S. illegally, according to a press release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. One of those men is a convicted murderer from Honduras.

On November 24, late at night, Border Patrol agents spotted three individuals crossing the border roughly one mile from the San Ysidro port of entry. The illegal attempt at crossing the border was thwarted by agents — and the three men were sent to a Border Patrol station. Allegedly, the migrant caravan traveled from Honduras to Guatemala, and then through Mexico.

When the men were being processed, agents discovered one of the men was recently released from prison. Miguel Angel Ramirez, 46, was released from prison in Honduras four months prior to the illegal crossing. Ramirez admitted to agents that he had been convicted of murder.

After a quick investigation — and corroboration from the San Diego Sector Border Patrol’s Foreign Operations Branch with the Honduran Consulate in Los Angeles — agents learned that Ramirez had served 10 years in prison for homicide. He was also found guilty of robbery, and had served time for that as well.

“It was Border Patrol agents’ effort and valued partnership with the Honduran Consulate in Los Angeles that helped us identify a dangerous convicted felon moving among the migrant caravan,” said San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott in a statement.

All three of the men are Honduran nationals. One of the men had previously been deported. They are being held in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security while waiting for deportation proceedings.

A few days later, Border Patrol agents arrested a Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang member from Honduras, according to a press release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He was also traveling with a migrant caravan. MS-13 is an international criminal gang known for their violence, oft-times distinguishable due to their prominent body tattoos.

Wuilson Lazo-Ramos, 30, was arrested at the Ajo station in Arizona after he and others were apprehended trying to illegally enter the U.S. Lazo-Ramos is a Honduran national with ties to the MS-13 gang. He has a felony conviction in Maricopa County for a weapons violation. Lazo-Ramos was sentenced to 30 days in jail, and two years probation. He told agents that he crossed illegally because he has a criminal record in the U.S.

Lazo-Ramos is currently being detained in federal custody while awaiting prosecution for immigration violations. Border Patrol agents run criminal history checks of all individuals who are apprehended at the border, to ensure those with criminal backgrounds are identified.