John Panaligan, one of the 15 most wanted fugitives in the United States, was finally arrested in Tepic, Nayarit. He is believed to be responsible for the murder of lawyer Victor Jigar Patel, who was found strangled in his Northbrook, Illinois office in December 2016. Since 2020, Panaligan was considered one of the most wanted men by the United States, despite the arrest warrant against him being issued in February 2017. The marshals offered a reward of $25,000 for information leading to his capture.
According to authorities, Panaligan deceived the Illinois lawyer into granting him an appointment in his office, where he murdered him. He is believed to have used a disguise, as seen in security camera footage. After the crime, Panaligan was arrested at the Canadian border for weapons smuggling before returning to the United States to be interrogated about Patel's murder. Despite becoming the main suspect during the investigation, he fled to Mexico in 2017 and has remained in hiding since then.
The operation that led to Panaligan's arrest was carried out on October 21 with collaboration between the state prosecutor's office and the United States Marshals Service. He was later handed over to immigration authorities and deported to the United States the following day to face judicial proceedings for the murder. The seriousness of the crime and the time he spent evading justice suggest that this case will be closely followed by both local authorities and the international community.
