A 56-year-old American fugitive has been arrested at his Kabega Park home in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, following an Interpol warrant for the alleged rape and sexual assault of his daughter.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the man – reported by the victim’s mother to the San Antonio Police Department in 2017 – was arrested on Wednesday, 27 May 2026.
“According to a report, the suspect allegedly raped his daughter and shared explicit text messages with her over a period; the victim was 12 years old at the time. Upon completion of the investigation, the suspect had fled the United States of America and was later traced to Eastern Cape, South Africa,” SAPS said in a statement.
Interpol arrest American fugitive: What happens next?
SAPS said the Texas man was traced by the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) in Pretoria, and officers executed a Section 5(1)(b) warrant with support from the Nelson Mandela Bay District Intervention Task Team, the Crime Combating Unit, and Mount Road Crime Intelligence.
He is expected to appear in the Gqeberha Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 29 May 2026, to face a formal extradition application from the US government.
Recent international fugitives captured in SA
This latest capture forms part of increasing instances of international criminals attempting to hide in South Africa.
In recent months, local law enforcement agencies have apprehended multiple wanted individuals, including 63-year-old Chinese national Fujia Chen, who was extradited in January 2026 for allegedly defrauding his government of R120 million after hiding in the country since 2021.
In another case, Stanislav Stamenov, 41, a foreign national sentenced to 16 years for heroin trafficking in his native Bulgaria, was recently arrested by the National Intervention Unit at his Cape Town home after years on the run.
Last month, anti-Western activist Kemi Seba, wanted in Benin for “inciting rebellion”, was also detained in Pretoria.
Do you think South Africa is an attractive hiding place for international criminals?
Neo Thale
www.sapeople.com