U.S. Marshals Service, Department of State Coordinate International Detention of Tucson Homicide Fugitive

Tucson, AZ - Local, federal and international law enforcement agencies worked in close coordination and pursued parallel investigative efforts toward a shared, urgent objective: locating and apprehending a fugitive wanted in connection with the homicide of a 19-year-old Tucson woman.

As part of that coordinated response, the U.S. Marshals Service-led WANTED Violent Offender Task Force worked closely with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service to track the fugitive’s international travel and facilitate his detention overseas.

Varun Batchigari, 20, an Indian national who entered the United States on a student visa and attended the University of Arizona, was wanted by the Tucson Police Department in connection with the death of Julissa Rubi Salazar. Batchigari faces state charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping.

Approximately four hours after Salazar’s death was discovered on August 6, the Pima County Attorney’s Office contacted the U.S. Marshals Service for assistance locating Batchigari. Investigators quickly learned that he had fled the United States and was traveling internationally, prompting an urgent effort to intercept him before he reached his destination.

Within hours, investigators confirmed that Batchigari had boarded a flight from Houston, Texas, to Munich, Germany. With Batchigari already in the air, U.S. Marshals Service personnel worked to confirm his itinerary, identify potential interception points and coordinate with domestic and international partners.

The U.S. Marshals Service contacted Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) personnel in Tucson, who quickly engaged DSS personnel in Frankfurt, Germany, and Chennai, India, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel in Frankfurt. Over the following hours, personnel worked across jurisdictions and time zones to track Batchigari’s travel and identify available legal and operational measures to prevent him from continuing to evade detection.

DSS communicated directly with overseas personnel and German authorities, coordinating the information needed to identify Batchigari and facilitate his detention upon arrival. As the flight continued toward Munich, the U.S. Marshals Service and DSS maintained continuous communication while the German Federal Police, known as the Bundespolizei, prepared to intercept him.

Shortly after the aircraft landed, German Federal Police officers located and detained Batchigari in the international transit area of Munich Airport. DSS personnel in Frankfurt subsequently confirmed his detention to the U.S. Marshals Service.

“This detention demonstrates what is possible when law enforcement partners act with urgency, share information and work toward a common objective,” said United States Marshal for the District of Arizona Van Bayless. “I want to thank the Tucson Police Department, Pima County Attorney’s Office, FBI, Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations and our German law enforcement partners for their exceptional cooperation. The FBI’s continued engagement will be especially important as this case moves through the international process and the suspect is returned to face justice in Arizona.”

Batchigari remains detained in Germany pending international legal proceedings related to his return to the United States. The Tucson Police Department is leading the homicide investigation, while federal partners continue coordinating matters associated with his return.

The swift detention resulted from sustained cooperation among local, federal and international authorities. It underscores the importance of established law enforcement partnerships in locating fugitives who attempt to evade justice by crossing international borders.

The Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals Service led multi-jurisdictional fugitive apprehension unit responsible for more than 2324 arrests in the last year. The task force is comprised of 25 agencies bringing together the resources of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest the community’s most violent offenders and sexual predators.