John Panaligannoted as one of the 15 fugitives most wanted by the United States governmentwas detained in Tepic, Nayaritafter a coordinated operation between the state Attorney General’s Office and the United States Marshals Service.
The Attorney General’s Office of the State of Nayarit reported in a statement that, Panaligan had been wanted since December 2016 for his alleged involvement in the murder of a lawyer in Northbrook, Illinois..
After the crime, the man managed to evade justice for several years, becoming one of the most wanted fugitives by US authorities.
US offered reward for capture of John Panaligan
In November 2020, he was included in the list of the 15 most wanted fugitivesand the Marshals Service offered a reward of 25 thousand dollars to whoever provided information that would facilitate his capture.
Panaligan’s arrest occurred on October 21 in the city of Tepic, the capital of the state of Nayarit. ”The arrest of John Panaligan was achieved in the city of Tepic, Nayarit,” the Prosecutor’s Office reported in a statement.
The arrest was carried out by Criminal Investigation Agents of the Nayarit Attorney General’s Office, in conjunction with US authorities, as part of a coordinated intelligence effort that demonstrates the effectiveness of binational collaboration in the fight against organized crime.
After his capture, Panaligan was placed at the disposal of Mexican immigration authorities and deported to the United States on October 22. to face the charges against him.
The case is expected to be closely followed by both US authorities and the international community, given its high profile.
The case, the authority noted, had attracted international attention due to the seriousness of the crime and Panaligan’s ability to evade justice for so long.
Now, he will face the judicial process for the murder of the lawyer in Illinois, closing a long chapter of search and international cooperation between the governments of Mexico and the United States.
