- Navy, BI arrest suspect with arrest warrant for assault
JOINT law enforcement elements arrested an American fugitive wanted for multiple violent assault charges during an operation at a high-rise residential building in Davao City on Wednesday evening, August 5.
In a statement released Thursday, Aug. 6, Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) commander Commodore Ireneo D. Battung said that their intelligence personnel assisted the Bureau of Immigration-Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group XI in apprehending alias James at Inspiria Condominium.
According to military authorities, alias James is the subject of an active warrant of arrest issued by the Newburyport District Court under the Massachusetts Trial Court in the United States.
He faces two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault under Massachusetts state law.
Immigration records retrieved via the BI’s Central Query Support System (CQSS) verified that James arrived in the Philippines on March 4, 2026.
Following his arrest, the foreigner was turned over to the BI-FSU for documentation and deportation proceedings. He was placed under temporary custody at Police Station 18 (Bajada) of the Davao City Police Office pending his transfer to Manila for final processing and extradition procedures.
Battung commended the inter-agency coordination, emphasizing that NFEM remains committed to leveraging maritime intelligence to support law enforcement operations and maintain regional peace and security across Eastern Mindanao.
