Oakland Police and U.S. Marshals Arrest Fugitive After 13 Years on the Run

San Francisco, CA - Carlos Alberto Cervantes, 39, was arrested by The U.S. Marshals Service along with Mexican Authorities in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Cervantes is wanted by the Oakland police Department for two counts of homicide from 2001.

In August of 2001, Mr. Cervantes allegedly got into a dispute with two individuals over a car stereo, which Mr. Cervantes was hired to install. The two individuals then reportedly suspected Mr. Cervantes of joyriding in the vehicle and demanded their money returned. During the course of Mr. Cervantes returning the money, he is accused of shooting both individuals in the head.

Oakland Police began searching for Mr. Cervantes and ultimately, due to their close professional relationship, began working the case with the U.S. Marshals Service led Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force. The team of investigators had ascertained that Mr. Cervantes had fled to the Guadalajara region of Mexico. U.S. Marshals in Mexico, working alongside Mexican law enforcement officials, spotted Mr. Cervantes walking out of a residence. Investigators established that Mr. Cervantes is a United States citizen, and, based upon the outstanding arrest warrants, petitioned the Mexican government to deport him back to the USA. Armed with the deportation order based on the homicide warrants, law enforcement effectuated his arrest without incident. Mr. Cervantes was flown into the United States and is now being housed at the Los Angeles County Jail.

Don O’ Keefe, the U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of California, stated: “The U.S. Marshals Service along with their partners, both domestically and internationally, will always strive to collaboratively bring fugitives to justice, no matter where they may try to hide”.

Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent stated, “This is an excellent example of law enforcement collaboration. Human life is our top priority. We are tenacious. Our perseverance in this case should send this message to criminals: we never give up.”

The Northern California Fugitive Task Force is a division of the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force and is part of a network of U.S. Marshals task forces across the country.