On a chilly yesterday morning in Pickerington, Ohio, a significant international law enforcement operation culminated in the arrest of 29-year-old Luis Naula-Candelario, who had been eluding capture since being implicated in the 2019 murder of Brenda Alexandra Garcia Puya in Ecuador. According to NBC4i, the U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team and ICE officers executed the arrest at a residence in the 100 block of Heft Court, just west of Downtown Pickerington.
The successful capture was a collaboration between the U.S. Marshals and ICE, who initiated a joint investigation following a tip that Naula-Candelario was likely residing in central Ohio. This man had been featured on Ecuador's most wanted list, a notorious enumeration of violent fugitives, as reported by WBNS. The authorities had a brief standoff before Naula-Candelario exited the home and was detained without further incident. He remains in ICE custody pending extradition procedures back to his home country.
ICE's Detainee Locator System lists an individual with the same name from Ecuador, now confirmed to be housed at a detention facility in Calhoun County, Michigan. Naula-Candelario had been a prominent figure on Ecuador's Los Mas Buscados – the most wanted – list since at least 2022 and had remained one of the most sought-after suspects on the specific most-wanted gender violence list in 2024, detailed by ABC6.
Michael D. Black, United States Marshal, underscored the importance of interagency cooperation, stating, "The U.S. Marshals in Southern Ohio and ICE work together daily to locate and apprehend violent fugitives in our community. This arrest is the result of the daily sharing of resources and information with all our task force partners. We will continue to support ICE in their immigration enforcement efforts by locating and arresting those in the country illegally who are wanted for violent crimes," a sentiment which illustrates the dedicated efforts and determination that lead to these types of apprehensions, as quoted by ABC6.
