FBI Director Kash Patel announced on April 16 that a US Navy reservist, accused of murdering his wife, whose body He was found inside a refrigerator, he was arrested outside the country.
Patel reported that the arrested man was identified as David Varela, 38, who was wanted for the death of his wife, a Colombian immigrant named Lina Guerra Echavarría.
He also said that a prompt extradition of Varela is expected; However, he did not provide details about where he was captured or when his return to the United States would be.
“I want to recognize the work of Homeland Security Investigations, our partners and the interagency effort that led to his quick arrest and return to the United States,” Patel said on social media.
On February 5, the Norfolk, Virginia Police found Echavarría’s body inside a freezer in the house where he lived with Varelaafter relatives of the victim reported her disappearance.
CBS affiliate WTKR reported that an autopsy revealed that Echavarría died of blunt force trauma, which gave rise to the charges against Varela.
The outlet noted that Varela fled the US before be charged and that he would have been seen last month on a flight to Hong Kong.
The Colombian’s family told several media outlets that Varela, of Colombian roots, He was a jealous man who wouldn’t let her work.
The couple met in Florida and He had been in a relationship for more than a decade.
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