U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested a Maryland woman on first degree and second degree murder charges out of Prince George’s County, Maryland, after she arrived on a flight from El Salvador to Washington Dulles International Airport on May 15.
CBP officers met Norma Elizabeth Rivas Villacorta, 23 years old, from Riverdale, Maryland, at the arrival gate, confirmed her identity, took her into custody, and turned her over to Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police. FBI special agents and Prince George’s County Police were present for Rivas Villacorta’s arrival.
Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
“This arrest illustrates how Customs and Border Protection’s border security mission helps our law enforcement partners capture dangerous wanted persons and return them to face their charges,” said Daniel Escobedo, Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, D.C.
In 2021, CBP officers and agents arrested an average of 25 wanted criminals every day.
CBP uses the National Crime Information Center, a centralized automated database designed to share information among law enforcement agencies including outstanding warrants for a wide range of offenses. CBP officers review passenger manifests of arriving international flights and identify travelers with outstanding arrests warrants on a wide range of charges, including homicide, fraud, larceny, robbery, narcotics distribution, sexual child abuse and child pornography.