A man suspected in the 2008 slaying of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Juan Escalante was among 26 fugitives the U.S. has taken into custody from Mexico, the Department of Justice announced.
Escalante, 27, was shot and killed that August in front of his mother’s house in Cypress Park, leading to the arrest of multiple suspects and the search for Roberto Salazar, who was charged with murder although he had not been apprehended.
In a news release on Tuesday, the DOJ listed Salazar among the fugitives sent to the U.S. from Mexico to face federal and state criminal charges from around the country.
“These 26 men have all played a role in bringing violence and drugs to American shores — under this Department of Justice, they will face severe consequences for their crimes against this country. We are grateful to Mexico’s National Security team for their collaboration in this matter,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated in the release.
Others on the list will face charges related to drug-trafficking, hostage-taking, kidnapping, illegal use of firearms, human smuggling, money laundering and other crimes, the news release stated.
Escalante, who was a father of three, had been working with the Sheriff’s Department for about two-and-a-half years when he was killed. He was also a U.S. Army Reserve member and Iraq War veteran.
Last year, L.A. County officials approved a $20,000 reward in an effort to bring renewed attention to the search for additional suspects in Escalante’s killing.
“He will live in our hearts & never be forgotten,” LASD said in a memorial post on X.