Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — An American man wanted by U.S. law enforcement for wire fraud and money laundering has been captured. Police say Otmane Khalladi was found living in Playa del Carmen under a fake name to allude authorities.
He was turned over to immigration when he failed to produce proof he was in the county legally. His arrest was reported by local authorities Friday when, according to police, he was found during a traffic stop.
The SSC (Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana) said police stopped him while he was driving along 30th Avenue in the city center for a traffic violation. Once pulled over, police noticed an aggressive attitude as the man identified himself as being an American.
When asked for his papers, he was unable to produce identification that proved his legal stay in Mexico. He was arrested and handed over to the INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración) who learned he had been living under a false name after entering Mexico.
Once his real identity was learned, police discovered he was a fugitive from the U.S. He had an outstanding arrest warrant for wire fraud and money laundering.
In a statement, the SSC reported that “Otmane “N” and/or Otmani “N” was arrested for failing to prove his legal status in the country. The detainee is a fugitive from the United States, wanted for wire fraud and money laundering.
“After entering Mexico, he used a false identity to evade authorities. His arrest was carried out by the Centurion Group of the Secretariat of Citizen Security, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, the Attorney General’s Office, the Secretariat of the Navy and the Secretariat of National Defense (Defensamx).
“During patrols focused on crime prevention, officers observed a man obstructing traffic with unusual behavior. The incident occurred on 30th Avenue North, between Constituyentes Avenue and 18th Street North, in the Gonzalo Guerrero neighborhood of Playa del Carmen.
“During an attempt at social interaction, the man adopted an aggressive and defiant attitude (…) he subsequently identified himself as a U.S. citizen and stated that he did not possess the necessary immigration documents for his stay in Mexico.
“Therefore he was transferred to the National Institute of Migration for the corresponding procedures regarding his immigration status in Mexico.”
Omar García Harfuch, the Secretario de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC) del Gobierno de México, also reported on the arrest of American fugitive Otmane Khalladi.
“In an operation carried out by the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, the Attorney General’s Office through the AIC-INTERPOL, the Secretariat of the Navy, the Ministry of Defense, and the Quintana Roo State Police, resulting from information sharing with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), Otmane Khalladi, a fugitive wanted in the U.S. for wire fraud and money laundering, was arrested in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo.
“After entering the country, he used a false identity to evade authorities, however, through intelligence and investigative work, he was located.”
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