Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Neil DeSousa, Acting U.S. Marshal, U.S. Marshals Service, and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the December 30, 2011 arrest of international fugitive Abdel Roca Teijelo, 37, in Miami, Florida. Teijelo was a fugitive from Spain. An international warrant for Teijelo’s arrest was issued on August 30, 2011. Spanish authorities sought the assistance from the United States in apprehending this international fugitive charged in Spain with murdering his former employer. Teijelo made his first appearance in federal court in Miami on January 4, 2011, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter R. Palermo. Teijelo is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres at 11:00 A.M. on January 6, 2012, for a bond hearing.

According to the provisional arrest warrant filed with the court, an investigation by Spanish authorities revealed that on June 30, 2011, neighbors of a coffee shop located at Calle Navas de Tolosa No. 5 in Saragossa, Spain (the Café) called the fire department because of a strong smell emanating from the premises. Firemen responded to the Café and discovered a large sarcophagus containing the body of Ruben Joaquin Fauste Elvira (the victim) and an ax. An examination of the body determined that cause of death was multiple axe wounds to the head.

According to the provisional arrest warrant filed with the court, an investigation by Spanish authorities into the victim’s death revealed that Teijelo and an accomplice both worked for the victim at a number of coffee shops. Authorities also reviewed cell phone records for Teijelo and his accomplice and discovered a meeting between the victim, Teijelo and his accomplice at the Café sometime between 7:30 p.m. on June 10, 2011 and 12:30 a.m. on June 11, 2011. According to court records, after 12:30 a.m. on June 11, 2011, the victim was never heard from again.

According to the provisional arrest warrant filed with the court, Spanish authorities also discovered that, on June 13, 2011, the accomplice rented two vans and purchased building materials, and with the assistance of Teijelo, brought these materials to the Café. Spanish authorizes later discovered that some of those building materials were intended to construct the sarcophagus that would eventually be used to hide the victim’s body and the axe used to kill him.

Teijelo was arrested by a U.S. Marshals Service task force and ICE-HSI agents during a traffic stop on the Florida Turnpike.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and its Office of International Affairs, Attaché Madrid, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, Attaché Madrid, Spain and Citizenship and Immigration Services. This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael B. Nadler.

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A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.