Mother of high profile fugitive arrested
Josefina Gurrola, 63, of El Paso, Texas, was arrested by members of the United States Marshals Service led Lone Star Fugitive Task Force on Friday, February 5th, on charges of Concealing Person from Arrest.
On October 28th, 2015 Gurrola’s daughter, Monica Velasco, was indicted by a federal Grand Jury charging her with various offenses including but not limited to Conspiracy to Conduct the Affairs of an Enterprise through a Pattern of Racketeering and Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Since Velasco was indicted, various law enforcement agencies have been engaged in an investigation into Velasco’s whereabouts.
This investigation revealed that Gurrola was in contact with Velasco after being interviewed by Deputy United States Marshals and being made aware of Velasco’s fugitive status. The Investigation further revealed that Gurrola was actively engaged in activities aimed at providing Velasco with monetary relief as well as aiding Velasco in avoiding detection and apprehension.
On February 5th, 2016, Gurrola was arrested while attempting to withdraw funds belonging to Velasco. Gurrola was booked into the Otero County Prison Facility on the evening of February 5th where she remained until being produced for an Initial Appearance on February 8th.
The USMS-LSFTF would like to remind the public that Monica Velasco is still a federal fugitive and should be considered armed and dangerous. Investigators believe that Velasco is desperate and will go to great lengths to continue to elude apprehension. The USMS-LSFTF asks for the public’s assistance in reporting tips and possible sightings to authorities.
Robert R. Almonte, United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas, states, “Gurrola’s arrest highlights the risk that fugitives bring upon their family and friends. If you help a fugitive hide or elude capture, law enforcement will pursue you as well.”
