Military

How the Feds Found 2 Fugitives in Hundreds of Thousands of Travelers

January 5, 2022Noelle Wiehe
washington dulles fugitives

US Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport arrested two men who were each wanted on felony child sex assault and molestation charges. The two arrests occurred on Dec. 24 and 28, 2021. US Customs and Border Protection photo.

Hundreds of thousands of travelers flowed through Washington Dulles International Airport during the peak holiday travel season, but federal law enforcement had their eyes on two of them.


US Customs and Border Protection officers nabbed a pair of fugitives at the airfield outside Washington, DC, both wanted on nationwide warrants for felony child sex assault charges. Sir Chuku Maurice Ngare, 44, of Marietta, Georgia, was detained on Christmas Eve. They arrested Giovanni Di Angelo Reumante, 31, of Takoma Park, Maryland, three days later.


Ngare was destined for Germany but had been wanted by Georgia authorities since Nov. 24. Maryland officials issued a warrant for Reumante the same day he journeyed from Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.  


Hundreds of Thousands
On Nov. 17, 2021, US Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport seized nearly 4,000 bongs and $23,000 in unreported currency. The bongs were valued at $56,000. The bongs violate federal laws on the importation of drug paraphernalia. US Customs and Border Protection photo.

US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Steve Sapp told Coffee or Die Magazine a key job for his agency is to identify and detain travelers named in outstanding warrants. 


Officers do that by screening manifest data for all international flights, according to Daniel Escobedo, US Customs and Border Protection’s director for the Area Port of Washington, DC, which includes Dulles


Escobedo’s officers start by matching a name and date of birth of someone who buys a ticket with information on warrants listed in the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database, including people wanted for homicide, money laundering, escape, robbery, drug dealing, sexually abusing children, larceny, and deserting from the military.


“And, so, if we do find somebody that actually matches to a warrant, and the originating agency is extraditing, we actually check with them just to verify that the subject or person that we’re seeing a match on is actually extraditable,” Escobedo said. “If the person is extraditable, then we will take action and we’ll go ahead and we’ll either proceed the flight before it lands or will intercept the person flying before they depart the United States.”


fugitive travelers
On Sept. 25, 2021, US Customs and Border Protection officers detained Efrain Medina, 42, of Indiana, after he arrived from Mexico as a pedestrian at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge in Hidalgo, Texas. There was an active arrest warrant for homicide on Medina. US Customs and Border Protection photo.

Nationwide, US Customs and Border Protection officers screened an average of 650,000 travelers each day in 2021 at airports, seaports, and land border crossings.


On any given day, they snag about 39 wanted suspects.


“These arrests illustrate how Customs and Border Protection’s unique border security mission supports our law enforcement partners by intercepting dangerous and wanted fugitives and helping to return them to face their charges,” Escobedo said.


Read Next: Ripped From ‘Hogan’s Heroes’? Guard Charged for Elaborate Smuggling Scheme 



Noelle Wiehe
Noelle Wiehe

Noelle is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die through a fellowship from Military Veterans in Journalism. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and interned with the US Army Cadet Command. Noelle also worked as a civilian journalist covering several units, including the 75th Ranger Regiment on Fort Benning, before she joined the military as a public affairs specialist.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Coffee Or Die Photo
From the Team Room to Team Room Design: An Operator’s Creative Journey

BRCC partners with Team Room Design for an exclusive T-shirt release!

Coffee Or Die Photo
Get Your Viking On: The Exclusive 30 Sec Out BRCC Shirt Club Design

Thirty Seconds Out has partnered with BRCC for an exclusive shirt design invoking the God of Winter.

Grizzly Forge BRCC shirt
Limited Edition: Grizzly Forge Blades on an Awesome BRCC Shirt

Lucas O'Hara of Grizzly Forge has teamed up with BRCC for a badass, exclusive Shirt Club T-shirt design featuring his most popular knife and tiomahawk.

BRCC Limited Edition Josh Raulerson Blackbeard Skull Shirt
From Naval Service to Creative Canvas: BRCC Veteran Artist Josh Raulerson

Coffee or Die sits down with one of the graphic designers behind Black Rifle Coffee's signature look and vibe.

Medal of Honor is held up.
Biden Will Award Medal of Honor to Army Helicopter Pilot Who Rescued Soldiers in Vietnam Firefight

Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.

dear jack mandaville
Dear Jack: Which Historic Battle Would You Want To Witness?

Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.

west point time capsule
West Point Time Capsule Yields Centuries-Old Coins

A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
Contact Us
© 2024 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved