American fugitive wanted for assault arrested in Cebu - BI

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently arrested an American national in Danao City, Cebu who is wanted for serious criminal offenses in his home country.

The 44-year-old American national was nabbed on April 29 by the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) in coordination with police and United States authorities.

The foreigner is allegedly wanted in Texas for threatening to publish intimate visual material and attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The American national had a prior conviction for felony aggravated assault in Arizona.

BI records showed that the American national entered the Philippines in March 2025 as a temporary visitor but failed to extend his stay beyond June 2025, making him an overstaying alien.

He was also flagged as an undesirable foreign national.

“This arrest highlights our firm stance: the Philippines is not a hiding place for fugitives with violent pasts. We will continue to work hand in hand with our international counterparts to track them down and remove them swiftly,” BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement.

“Those who attempt to evade justice by crossing borders will find that our enforcement is both proactive and unrelenting.”

The foreigner is under police custody in Danao City, Cebu and will be transferred to the BI Warden Facility in Manila for the filing of deportation charges. — JMA, GMA News