Fugitive Strike Team Exceeds 10,000 Arrests

Dallas, TX - Randy P. Ely, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Texas, announced today that the United States Marshals sponsored multi-agency fugitive task force, known as the Dallas Fort-Worth Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (DFW FAST), surpassed its 10,000th arrest. The strike team, which focuses on arresting violent offenders, officially began operations January 1st of 2004.

Participating agencies, to include the Dallas Police Department, Dallas County Sheriffs Department, Fort Worth Police Department, and the Tarrant County Sheriffs Department, as well as numerous other local, county, state, and federal agencies, assign personnel to the task force in an effort to apprehend some of the most violent fugitives in North Texas (See attached list of participating agencies). The 10,000 arrests cleared in excess of 13,000 warrants, including more than 2,400 for sexual related offenses and over 700 for the offense of homicide.

“DFW FAST has been more successful than any of us ever imagined. This has been due to the ongoing support we have received from partner agencies leadership and the great relationship we have with the United States Attorney’s Office here in North Texas. However the real success of the FAST has been due to the tremendous efforts of dedicated personnel on the local, state, and federal level who deal with these violent offenders on a daily basis,” said United States Marshal Randy Ely

In the days leading up to the 10,000th arrest; DFW FAST apprehended Francisco Perez who was wanted on organized crime charges by McKinney Police, Jay Ellington who was wanted on aggravated robbery charges by Weatherford Police and Ernesto Jennings who was arrested on a Dallas Police warrant for aggravated robbery. The 10,000th arrest was of Nathan Eaton who was wanted by Arlington Police on two charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Just hours after the arrest of Eaton, strike team members arrested Samuel Mons in Lancaster, Texas. Mons was wanted on a federal parole warrant. His original offenses included unpremeditated murder, robbery and introduction of a controlled substance.

Ely said, “One of our core principles is that we are very victim driven on the strike team. We realize that these arrests have deep meaning for some in our community. We recognize that crime victims often suffer physically, financially, and emotionally. There is often a sense of loss of control over one’s life or a feeling of vulnerability. The arrest of an offender often represents a very important step for the victim in their recovery process. With that thought in mind, it makes all of us want to do an even better job for those victimized by violent crime.”

MS-13 Member Sentenced to 40 Years for Murdering Pimp in July 2009

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Adolfo Amaya Portillo, 27, of Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced today to 480 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in the murder of a pimp while robbing the pimp and a prostitute in Alexandria on July 29, 2009.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Shawn Henry, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Earl L. Cook, Alexandria Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.

On April 30, 2010, Portillo pled guilty to the use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in the death of the pimp, Claros Luna, through the use of a handgun.

According to court records, Portillo and two other MS-13 gang members—Eris Ramon Arguera and Alcides Umaña—posed as potential customers for prostitution and lured Luna and a prostitute to Manor Road in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 29, 2009.

Once Luna and the prostitute arrived at Manor Road, the prostitute exited the vehicle and entered the apartment building at 704 Manor Road. Arguera, brandishing a handgun, met the prostitute in the lobby and directed her to the nearby vehicle where Luna sat waiting in the driver’s seat. Arguera and the prostitute entered the rear driver’s side door of the vehicle. Portillo, armed with a handgun, entered the front passenger door. Umaña, armed with a knife, entered the rear passenger-side door of the vehicle. Portillo demanded rent or extortion payments from Luna. Luna attempted to grab Portillo’s handgun. Umaña then put his knife to Luna’s throat. Portillo and Arguera fatally shot Luna three times. Portillo fired two of the three fatal shots–one to Luna’s chest and a second contact wound to Luna’s head. A third shot entered the left side of Luna’s back and exited his chest. Portillo, Arguera, and Umaña then took the money that Luna and the prostitute had earned from the prostitution business that day.

On July 9, 2010, Arguera was sentenced to 324 months in prison. Umaña was sentenced to 240 months on June 4, 2010.

This case was investigated by the Alexandria Police Department and FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Fairfax County and Arlington County Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Office of Investigations in Washington, D.C. Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald Walutes and Morris Parker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.