By: Virgin Islands Free Press News Desk
SAN JUAN — A Pennsylvania fugitive wanted on felony drug and conspiracy charges was taken into federal custody in Puerto Rico after local police discovered an unlicensed handgun on his waist during a commercial parking lot stop, federal officials announced.
Angel Joel Fagot Torres faces federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm following his arrest by members of the Puerto Rico Police Department’s Ponce Strike Force and agents with the FBI Ponce Resident Agency.
Parking Lot Encounter Leads to Arrest
According to a criminal complaint authorized on August 5, 2026, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López Soler, PRPD Strike Force officers observed suspicious activity involving two individuals near a Mitsubishi Lancer in a commercial parking lot in Ponce on August 3, 2026.
When officers approached to investigate, they observed a pistol tucked into Fagot Torres’s waistband. Upon questioning by law enforcement, Fagot Torres admitted he did not hold a valid permit or license to carry the firearm. Officers secured the weapon and placed him under arrest without incident.
Prior Convictions and Pennsylvania Warrant
A subsequent background check revealed that Fagot Torres has prior felony weapons convictions in Puerto Rico, making it illegal for him to possess firearms under federal law.
Records checks further confirmed an active, outstanding arrest warrant issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charging Fagot Torres with failure to appear in court on felony narcotics charges and associated conspiracy offenses.
Following the joint investigation by the PRPD Ponce Strike Force and the FBI, federal authorities charged Fagot Torres with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) (Felon in Possession of a Firearm).