FBI Agents Transport Christian Michael Longo Back to the United States

Charles Mathews, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon, announces that FBI agents have transported Christian Michael Longo back to the United States. Longo and his FBI escort landed at the Houston, Texas airport at about 7:45 AM Pacific time today on a Continental Flight that originated in Cancun. Mexican authorities, accompanied by FBI agents, arrested Longo Sunday evening at about 6:20 PM Pacific time in the small town of Tulum, Mexico. Tulum is approximately 60 miles south of Cancun. The arrest was without incident.

On Friday evening, a woman from the Montreal area called FBI Headquarters after seeing national and international publicity on the case and checking the FBI’s web site (www.fbi.gov). She had recently traveled to Cancun, Mexico and recognized the photograph of Christian Longo. The woman says she arrived in Cancun on December 27, 2001. That day she met a man named “Brad” at a Cancun hostel. He later told her his name was “Mike”. She left the hostel on December 29, 2001.

Additional information was received at the American Embassy in Mexico City that Longo had stayed at the Hostel Mexico, a youth hostel in Cancun. Investigators determined that he had left the youth hostel on January 7, 2002. Publicity in Mexico helped investigators locate Longo at a beach camp in Tulum. He was living in a beach camp there under the name of Michael Longo. When approached by approximately 20 Mexican law enforcement officers and FBI agents, Longo confirmed his identity. Over the course of the next few hours, he agreed to be transported back to Cancun and to board a plane to the United States early this morning.

Upon landing in Houston, the FBI agents formally took Longo into federal custody. He will go through the normal process for a fugitive, including questioning and fingerprinting. Later today, he will be booked into the Harris County, Texas jail where he will await an appearance before a federal magistrate. At that time, the magistrate will confirm Longo’s identity and begin extradition proceedings.

Longo was wanted on a Lincoln County, Oregon warrant charging him with multiple counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife, Mary Jane, and their three children. Federal authorities had also charged him with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution.

The FBI would like to thank the Mexican immigration authorities and Mexican law enforcement authorities for their assistance.