The FBI and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday announced the arrest of a convicted murderer and illegal immigrant from Colombia who managed to live a secret double life in Massachusetts for years.
William Hernando Usma Acosta, 61, fled Colombia for the United States in June 1994 after murdering his wife, Laura Rose Agudelo, and attempting to murder his daughter. The criminal had been living in the greater Boston area under the alias Carlos Alberto Rendon after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in 1995 and marrying a U.S. citizen in 1998, according to ICE.
"Today’s arrest has ensured that this dangerous and convicted killer will face justice for his crimes," Todd Lyons, FBI Boston's field office director, said in a statement. "ERO Boston is proud to have been part of this joint effort with our federal partners. Acosta will no longer pose a threat to the residents of the Commonwealth thanks to the tireless efforts of an outstanding team of law enforcement professionals in both the United States and Colombia."
NEW GUATEMALAN MIGRANT CARAVAN EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AT SOUTHERN BORDER IN MAY WHEN TITLE 42 ENDS
The fugitive shot and killed his wife during a domestic incident and shot at his daughter when she tried to intervene, the agencies said. In 1996, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison on the charges of aggravated murder, aggravated attempted murder, and illegal possession of a firearm.
Acosta had been under an Interpol Red Notice, which are issued for fugitives wanted for prosecution or sentencing. It is an international request for global law enforcement agencies to "locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action," according to Interpol.
FBI agents got a lead that Acosta may be hiding in the greater Boston area in 2020.
After marrying a U.S. citizen in 1998, Acosta, who had changed his name to Rendon by that time, moved to Belmont with his wife and son. He later submitted an application for naturalization to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and submitted a fraudulent Colombian birth certificate and fingerprints to the agency.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The FBI compared and matched his new fingerprints to those provided by the Colombian National Police.
"William Hernando Usma Acosta is a convicted cold-blooded killer who thought he could evade justice by entering the United States and creating a new identity for himself so he could live under the radar. He needs to face justice for what he did, and today’s arrest ensures that he will,"Joseph Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of FBI Boston, said in a statement. "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will not be a safe haven for those wanted in their native countries, and the FBI will continue to leverage our international partnerships to remove dangerous fugitives like him from our communities."