A slaying suspect was arrested by federal officers in San Diego County after he tried to cross the U.S.-Mexican border by using a falsified passport, authorities said Wednesday.
Rene Aguilar-Orzuna, 28, a Mexican citizen, is wanted by the New York City Police Department in connection with a June 2003 murder, the Department of Homeland Security said.
Aguilar-Orzuna was arrested Friday as he walked through Port of Entry in Tecate, east of San Diego. He allegedly used a passport that had its original photo replaced with one of Orzuna, according to the department.
During the 2010 fiscal year, 81% of the fraudulent document arrests made by customs officers nationwide have been in the San Diego area, the Homeland Security Department said. Officers have made 7,961 arrests in the area this fiscal year, a 6% increase over the same period last year.
Aguilar-Orzuna was being held at the San Diego County Jail.
–Robert J. Lopez