U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested a Salvadoran man at Washington Dulles International Airport on Sunday as he attempted to leave the country while facing felony child sexual abuse charges in Maryland.
Nelvis Gonzalez Purdencio, 43, of Germantown, Maryland, was apprehended before boarding a flight to El Salvador. Authorities say he is wanted by Montgomery County Police for sexual abuse of a minor, classified as a third-degree felony. In addition to the state charges, Gonzalez Purdencio is also subject to a removal order from September 2005 for entering the United States unlawfully and an arrest warrant issued in February 2025 for failing to appear for his removal proceedings.
CBP officers confirmed that both the local arrest warrant and federal orders remained active at the time of his attempted departure.
“This arrest illustrates how Customs and Border Protection officers help victims, including our most vulnerable victims of sexual assault, to have a voice by working with our law enforcement partners to capture and return wanted fugitives to justice,” said Christine Waugh, Customs and Border Protection’s area port director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. “CBP will always do the right thing, and leverage all its resources and capabilities to identify and apprehend criminals while executing our border security mission.”
After his arrest at Dulles airport, Gonzalez Purdencio was transferred into custody of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority officers.
Officials emphasized that criminal charges are allegations until proven in court.
CBP routinely checks international passenger manifests against law enforcement databases such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) in order to identify individuals with outstanding warrants or who require further inspection. According to CBP data from last year, officers processed over one million travelers daily across U.S. entry points and made an average of 44 arrests each day related to outstanding warrants.
The agency’s border security operations at ports of entry involve screening travelers and cargo for illicit items ranging from narcotics and weapons to counterfeit goods or prohibited agricultural products that could pose risks domestically or economically.
For more information about CBP’s work or recent activities during “A Typical Day” in 2024, visit www.CBP.gov.
