César Moisés Hernández, a convicted murderer and fugitive who escaped from U.S. custody last year, was arrested Thursday during an operation called “Gracela,” Mexican authorities confirmed.
The operation was implemented by Mexico’s State Investigation Agency, in close collaboration with the special operations group of the National Defense, as part of joint actions to combat crime and guarantee the safety of citizens.
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The agents executed a search warrant inside a wooden room located in a property in the Lomas de Matamoros neighborhood in Tijuana, where Hernández was located.
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SIGN UP According to authorities, César was tracked and located through the use of intelligence and technology. The criminal who had defied authorities in California and Mexico had become a priority target of the Security Roundtable.
César "N" is currently facing criminal proceedings in Tijuana for the murder of Mexico police commander Abigail Esparza Reyes, who died after being shot by Hernández during the operation that was implemented for his capture on April 9 in the Barcelona Residencial subdivision.
More than 50 officers participated in the large-scale operation, including Reyes, who was specifically assigned to a task force to find fugitives from other countries. But Hernández managed to escape after barricading himself for several hours in a home from where he fired shots at the officers, Telemundo 20 reported.
Previous Coverage
According to U.S. authorities, Cesar Moises fled on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in a pickup truck shortly after being transported to a court appearance at the Kern County Superior Courthouse in Delano, California.
He was sentenced to 80 years in prison for first-degree murder in Los Angeles with the possibility of parole, the department said.
He also faces charges of making weapons and possessing banned substances inside the prison.
This story was originally reported as breaking news in Spanish by our sister station, Telemundo 20.
