American fugitive wanted for violent crimes nabbed in Cebu

An American fugitive wanted in the United States for violent criminal offenses was arrested in Cebu, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Sunday.

The BI identified the foreign national as Kenneth Alan White, 44, who was apprehended on 29 April in a residential area in Danao City, Cebu by operatives of the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU).

The arrest was conducted in coordination with United States authorities, units of the Philippine National Police, and local law enforcement agencies.

According to immigration officials, White is wanted in Texas for charges involving threatening to publish intimate visual material and attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. 

Authorities also noted that he had previously been convicted in Arizona for felony aggravated assault.

BI records showed that White entered the Philippines in March 2025 as a temporary visitor. However, he allegedly failed to extend his stay beyond June 2025, making him an overstaying foreign national. Immigration authorities have likewise tagged him as an undesirable alien.

Joel Anthony Viado said the arrest reflects the agency’s intensified campaign against foreign fugitives seeking refuge in the country.

“This arrest highlights our firm stance: the Philippines is not a hiding place for fugitives with violent pasts. We will continue to work hand in hand with our international counterparts to track them down and remove them swiftly,” Viado said.

He warned that “those who attempt to evade justice by crossing borders will find that our enforcement is both proactive and unrelenting.”

White is currently under police custody in Danao City and is expected to be transferred to the BI Warden Facility in Manila for the filing of deportation charges.