Illegal immigrant wanted for rape nabbed at airport as he attempted to flee the country

An illegal immigrant wanted on rape charges was arrested at a DC-area airport as he attempted to flee to his home country of El Salvador. United States Customs and Border Protection agents nabbed the man wanted for multiple sexual charges including offenses against a minor.

32-year-old Salvador Atilio Vasquez Rivera was captured by United States Customs and Border Patrol agents at the Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) as he attempted to flee to his home country of El Salvador. Rivera was wanted on multiple charges including felony strongarm rape, sexual abuse of a minor, 2nd-degree rape, and various 3rd and 4th-degree sexual offenses.

Rivera, who is alleged to have entered the country illegally and was ordered to be removed from the United States as far back as December 2013, according to a report from a local CBS news station. Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA) police took custody after his apprehension by US Customs.

The Area Director for the US Customs & Border Protection, Daniel Escobedo, offered the following statement:

“The allegations, if true, are very concerning. Customs and Border Protection officers are pleased to capture a fleeing fugitive and return him to justice. Border security remains a critical mission for CBP, and we remain committed to supporting our local law enforcement partners in helping to keep our communities safe.”

Although no gang affiliation was officially reported with Rivera, El Salvador is home to the notoriously violent MS-13 gang whose crimes are often bloody and who is an ever-present member of the Baltimore-area crime scene. MS-13 gang members are often immigrants with questionable legal status in the United States, and whose violent crimes know few limits.