also known as “El Pucho,” was arrested in the state of Mexico on June 5. The Mexican government quickly deported the man wanted by the FBI to the United States, where he will face justice.
Special Agent Raymond Duda, from the Seattle Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced Santiago Villalba Mederos was arrested without incident in Tenancingo , Estado de Mexico. He said the arrest is the “result of good old-fashioned detective work and a great collaborative effort with our federal and international partners. Hopefully, the families of Mederos’ victims will finally see a resolution for these senseless acts.”
The FBI Seattle Office credited “the FBI’s legal attaché office in Mexico City, Mexico, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, the Secretaria de la Marina Armada ( SEMAR ), the Fiscalia General de Justicia del Estado de Mexico ( FGJEM ), the Instituto Nacional de Migracion ( INM ), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Western District of Washington’s U.S. Attorney’s Office in coordinating the arrest of Mederos.”
In 2017, the FBI announced “El Pucho” would join the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list . According to U.S. authorities, Villalba is responsible for two murders in the Tacoma , Washington , area.
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Furthermore, the FBI was offering USD 100,000 in exchange for information leading to the arrest of Mederos, who fled to Mexico years ago.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, “Mederos is a member of the Eastside Lokotes Sureno (ELS) gang and is wanted for his alleged involvement in several crimes committed in 2010 in Tacoma, Washington. On February 7, 2010, Mederos purportedly took part in the planning and execution of retaliatory actions on rival gang members . While allegedly looking for potential targets, Mederos reportedly encountered two people, not involved in any gang activity, in their car while stopped at a stoplight. Due solely to the color of their vehicle, the brother and sister were chased while in their vehicle. When they stopped at another stoplight, Mederos allegedly fired multiple shots into the car, killing the 20-year-old woman and seriously wounding her 19-year-old brother. On December 2, 2010, Mederos was charged with murder in the first degree, attempted murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, and unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree in the Superior Court of Washington for Pierce County, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.”
was also “allegedly involved in violent criminal activity again on March 25, 2010, when he and other gang members purportedly went to collect money from a person they knew. Mederos and other gang members allegedly broke into and ransacked that person’s vehicle. Several innocent bystanders observed this situation and confronted the group. A fight ensued, during which Mederos allegedly fired a single gunshot towards the bystanders—striking and killing a 21-year-old man. On March 30, 2010, Mederos was charged with murder in the second degree in the Superior Court of Washington for Pierce County, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.”
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