Lynden man arrested by Homeland Security was gang member, Border Patrol says
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided an update Thursday on the arrest of a Lynden man who was taken into custody on Oct. 29 at an apartment complex by the Department of Homeland Security.
Jesus Alejandro Lopez Ruiz, 29, was wanted for assault on law enforcement, according to a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. CBP said Ruiz was a member of the Sureño gang and had “a history of criminal activity.”
His arrest followed an “extensive investigation” between Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations officers, Homeland Security Investigations agents and U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Blaine Sector Targeting Unit, according to CBP.
Ruiz was previously arrested for an immigration violation in 2016, CBP said.
“Through the dedication and professionalism of our agents and partners, we were able to safely apprehend a dangerous individual who posed a threat to our communities and law enforcement personnel,” said U.S. Border Patrol Blaine Sector Chief Rosario Vasquez.
ICE and border patrol agents initially tried to arrest Ruiz on Oct. 15. CBP said that Ruiz “rammed” an ICE officer’s vehicle and struck another driver’s car. However, a Washington State Patrol spokesperson previously told the Herald that the other driver accidentally hit the border patrol agent’s car when they drove through an intersection without stopping while pursuing Ruiz.
Ruiz’s arrest drew outcry from local activists, who raised questions about due process, civil rights and intimidation. Ruiz’s partner, Jocelyn Peña, told The Herald that unmarked vehicles had been following her and Ruiz since the Oct. 15 incident.
Peña said that after Ruiz was taken into custody, an officer took her outside of her workplace to question her. She said she was taken to a building in Ferndale and told she was under investigation.
Ruiz was initially booked in Whatcom County Jail, and was later transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.