For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marshals Service recently participated in the first-ever worldwide manhunt for violent fugitives, providing investigative support to Interpol and Crime Stoppers International during Operation INFRA-RED – International Fugitive Round-up and Arrest - Red Notices.

The cooperative effort in June involved law enforcement agencies from four continents with significant contributions by Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Jamaica, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Operation INFRA-RED combined the resources of Interpol, CSI and the U.S. Marshals Service to produce the most successful international fugitive apprehension operation in Interpol history, officials said. The success of the operation hinged on the exchange of information concerning violent fugitives who have fled internationally and are believed to be residing in other countries.

International fugitive cases are particularly difficult, and INFRA-RED targeted the “worst of the worst” offenders. Leaders at CSI, Interpol and the U.S. Marshals Service all expressed gratitude for the outstanding cooperation by law enforcement across the globe and the exceptional public interest and assistance generated during this initiative.

“The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to have played a role in the inaugural Operation INFRA-RED,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director John F. Clark. “This operation brought together law enforcement agencies worldwide and proved that it is becoming increasingly difficult for criminals to find a place to hide. I commend Secretary General Ronald K. Noble of Interpol and President Gary Murphy of Crime Stoppers International for taking the lead on this highly successful and innovative operation.”

Among those arrested during Operation INFRA-RED were:

• Christian Garro-Chaves, who was taken into custody June 17 by the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and personnel from Interpol – U.S. National Central Bureau. Carro-Chaves was wanted in his native Costa Rica for the alleged repeated sexual molestation of a child at knifepoint. He also was wanted for allegedly attacking a sleeping victim with a machete during a home invasion. His victim survived the attack and provided local authorities with Garro-Chaves’ name and description. Garro-Chaves waived extradition and was returned to Costa Rica, where he faces 45 years in prison.
• Wendy Marie Polanco-Gonzalez, who was arrested in Orlando, Fla., as a result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Interpol – USNCB Alien and Fugitive Division. She was wanted in the Dominican Republic for the murder of her boyfriend. When she was apprehended, Polanco-Gonzalez was in possession of false identification and was preparing to flee from Florida. Her case was profiled extensively in the media, and she was listed in a recent Parade magazine article as one of “the most wanted fugitives on the run in America.” Polanco-Gonzalez is being detained by ICE pending deportation to the Dominican Republic, where she faces 30 years in prison.
• Bruce Vito Veniero, who was arrested in Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 23 at the request of the U.S. Marshals Service and Interpol-USNCB. He was wanted for criminal intent to distribute more than a ton of marijuana. He went on the run in 1997, shortly after he signed a plea agreement admitting guilt and posting a $1 million bail. It was later discovered Veniero had prearranged worldwide and offshore bank accounts built from the proceeds of his narcotics empire to fund a life on the run. His fugitive case aired several times on America’s Most Wanted. Veniero is being held in Argentina pending deportation/extradition to the United States, where he faces life imprisonment.

Coinciding with its own nationwide fugitive apprehension operation, Operation FALCON – Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally, the U.S. Marshals Service was able to dedicate all of its investigative resources to Operation INFRA-RED, including its national network of fugitive task forces, foreign field offices, and technical surveillance and criminal intelligence assets.

“I am pleased with the level of cooperation and involvement we were able to achieve during INFRA-RED, particularly in Colombia and Jamaica, where both domestic and international operations took place,” said Michael Earp, Assistant Director of the U.S. Marshals Service Investigative Operations Division. “The U.S. Marshals Service specializes in fugitive apprehension, and I am glad we could lend our expertise at the international level. Violent fugitives have the highest rate of recidivism among all criminals and it is critical that they are apprehended as expeditiously as possible. Our participation in INFRA-RED has helped to lay the groundwork for future operations of this kind.”

An Interpol Red Notice seeks the location and arrest of an individual for whom an arrest warrant has been issued with the aim of extraditing that fugitive to the country in which the crime was committed. Crime Stoppers International is the umbrella organization for the 1,200 official Crime Stoppers programs worldwide.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

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