A Panamanian murderer who escaped from La Joya prison in 2008 has been captured in Washington DC after an FBI stake out based on a tip that he was planning a terrorist attack.
The FBI was led to 36-year-old Juan Barrera Candelaria by an anonymous caller who claimed Barrera was planning to fire a rocket launcher at a Metro train, according to an affidavit recently filed in federal court.
He was living in subsidized housing and cruised around town in three luxury cars, says the Washington Examiner.
The tip began an around-the-clock investigation and the FBI staked out Barrera's third-floor apartment, for two days in late January before taking him into custody. Authorities said in court documents that Barrera did not own a rocket launcher and had no plans to attack Metro.
Barrera has since been transferred from FBI custody to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, spokeswomen from both agencies confirmed.
The convicted murderer has been wanted on a warrant from Panama since escaping from La Joya in early 2008, Interpol said. Details regarding Barrera's murder conviction were not readily available, an ICE spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating Barrera for identity fraud, court documents said.
Federal agents have executed search warrants on Barrera's apartment and his Hyattsville Bank of America safety deposit box, an FBI spokeswoman confirmed.
The returned warrants show that Barrera kept $21,200 in cash at the bank along with a Panamanian birth certificate issued for Barrera's alias, Antonio Armando Acuna. They also found a fake Social Security card in that name and a D.C. driver's license.
Barrera reportedly told authorities he used the bogus Social Security card to get the driver's license and secure his U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development subsidized apartment, court documents said.
A property manager for Brookland Manor Apartments told authorities Barrera paid his rent for one year in advance.
Authorities also found that Barrera had three cars registered to his alias in the District: a 1998 Lexus, a 2003 Infiniti and a 2008 Acura.
Barrera reportedly told authorities he entered the United States by sneaking in through Mexico, the affidavit said.