CHICAGO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport arrested Surinder Singh Dehal, 57, on a warrant for sexual assault May 31. Dehal was attempting to flee prosecution for 20 counts of rape, six counts of sodomy and one count of oral copulation of a minor in California.
Upon Dehal’s departure from the United States, CBP officers in London were alerted and intercepted him with the assistance of British Customs. CBP has officers not only working within the United States, but at foreign ports as well. Dehal was immediately returned to the United States where he was met plane side by CBP officers in Chicago, arrested and turned over to the Chicago Police Department pending his extradition to California.
“CBP officers arrested this sex offender after a positive identity match revealed that he was the subject of a National Criminal Information Center or NCIC warrant,” said William Ferrara, CBP Director of Field Operations in Chicago. “This is another fine example of our CBP border search authority in action and partnership with our international law enforcement partners to catch fugitives who try to run from the law.”
While welcoming and processing all legitimate travelers and trade into this country, CBP officers enforce a host of U.S. laws at the borders to keep terrorists and other dangerous persons such as fugitives out of our neighborhoods. CBP also prevents narcotics, agricultural pests and smuggled goods and other contraband from entering and exiting the country.