Attempted murder suspect caught at San Luis port of entry

A man wanted in Salinas, Calif., on attempted murder charges was apprehended Wednesday at the San Luis port of entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.

At around 10:30 a.m., 19-year-old Manuel Ramos attempted to enter the United States as a passenger in a vehicle coming from Mexico. When a CBP officer put the driver’s name into the agency's system, the officer was alerted to possible immigration concerns regarding the driver and sent the vehicle and everyone in it for a secondary inspection, according to Brian D. Levin, CBP spokesman.

During the subsequent inspection of everyone in the vehicle and additional name queries, officers discovered that Ramos was wanted by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office on charges of attempted murder.

Ramos was taken into custody and turned over to the San Luis Police Department.

The driver and other passengers were released after their identities were verified and no other violations or concerns were found.

The apprehension of Ramos was the direct result of CBP’s increased use of name queries during primary inspections at land border crossings, Levin said in a news release.

During fiscal year 2007, CBP officers at the ports of entry in Arizona apprehended 1,189 fugitives, a 35 percent increase from the previous fiscal year, when they apprehended 879 fugitives, according to Levin.

While CBP officers' primary mission is anti-terrorism, they screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel into and out of the United States, Levin said.