Mexico Extradites 1996 Murder Suspect to the United States After Partnering with U.S. Marshals to Locate and Arrest Him

Del Rio, TX – The U.S. Marshals Service, in coordination with other law enforcement partners, today arrested a murder suspect who had evaded authorities for nearly 30 years.

The fugitive, Jose Rafael Marceleno, 53, was initially indicted for murder in Ector County on April 23, 1996, following an Odessa Police Department investigation into the murder of his wife, Guadalupe "Petey" Paredes, 32. Marceleno allegedly stabbed his wife multiple times with a lock blade knife and fled the scene.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Ector District Attorney’s Office and law enforcement officials to prepare a request for Marceleno’s extradition, which was presented to Mexico on May 13, 2022. Thanks to information developed by foreign and domestic law enforcement agencies, Marceleno was arrested in July 2023 in Juarez, Mexico.

After Marceleno was extradited from Mexico on December 16, 2024, he was taken into custody in Del Rio. The U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, in coordination with the Odessa Police Department, Ector County Sheriff’s Office, Ector County District Attorney’s Office, and Odessa Crime Stoppers, worked closely to bring the fugitive to justice.

Participating officers worked vigorously and diligently to locate and apprehend Marceleno. The Ector County District Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution. 

“The Marshals and our law enforcement partners are committed to locating and apprehending the most dangerous individuals, even in other countries,” said U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas Susan Pamerleau. “Through coordinated efforts, we will continue to make our communities a little safer, one fugitive at a time.”

Agencies involved in the extradition included:

• USMS Western District of Texas - Lone Star Fugitive Task Force
• Odessa Police Department
• Ector County Sheriff’s Office
• Ector County District Attorney’s Office
• Odessa Crime Stoppers