Washington, DC – On May 22 the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), working jointly with INTERPOL Washington and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, located and arrested a fugitive suspect wanted under an Interpol Red Notice in the disappearance case of a university student who went missing in Tunceli Province, Turkey, in 2020.

Umut Altas is wanted by Turkish law enforcement authorities for murder, aggravated sexual assault, and organized crime in connection with the 2020 rape, murder, and disappearance of college student Gülistan Doku.

In April 2026, INTERPOL Ankara and the INTERPOL General Secretariat Fugitive Investigative Support Sub-Directorate notified INTERPOL Washington of Altaş’ possible presence in the U.S.  

The USMS initiated an intensive fugitive investigation, determining Altaş was residing on the streets of New York City and was in violation of U.S. immigration laws. Despite the investigative difficulties this presented, the USMS and HSI in New York working together were able to locate and apprehend Altas without incident at a café on Columbus Avenue in Manhattan.

This investigation highlights that when global law enforcement agencies work together to share information, fugitives cannot escape justice and hide.

These additional agencies provided significant assistance throughout the course of the investigation:  Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection – National Targeting Center.

The USMS provides assistance, expertise and training on fugitive matters to federal, state, local and international agencies, working with the international law enforcement community to apprehend fugitives abroad as well as to seek foreign fugitives living or residing in the U.S.

The USMS protects the public from international fugitives through coordinated enforcement efforts with foreign and domestic law enforcement.  In fiscal year 2025, the USMS closed 1,763 transnational fugitive investigations requiring investigative coordination with 142 countries and territories. The USMS conducted 966 removals, including extraditions, foreign extraditions, deportations and expulsions, through coordination with 70 foreign nations.

The agency maintains liaison positions with the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.

INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau, integrated with the USMS in October 2025, strengthening the connection between federal fugitive operations and international law enforcement cooperation. This integration enhances the U.S.’s ability to coordinate globally, share critical real-time information and support the location and apprehension of fugitives across borders.