Inmate who walked away from Nevada County work camp captured in Mexico
An inmate who walked away from a Nevada County work camp on Independence Day was captured in Tijuana by Mexican authorities, said state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials on Monday.
Corrections officials sought Miguel Banuelos, who walked away Saturday from Washington Ridge Conservation Camp. Banuelos, 49, was last seen about 12:35 p.m., Saturday. He could not be accounted for during a 2 p.m. head count. Corrections officials began their search and notified local law enforcement, according to a news release.
Mexican authorities about 11:20 a.m. Monday apprehended Banuelos at a residence in Tijuana without incident, said state corrections officials in a statement Monday afternoon.
Banuelos will face an immigration judge before being processed through the port of entry, officials said. From there, he will be housed at another state correctional facility and his case will be referred to Nevada County District Attorney’s Office for possible escape charges, the statement read.
Banuelos has been housed at the rural camp since July 2025. He is serving a seven-year prison sentence for transportation or sale of a controlled substance and possession or purchase of heroin or cocaine weighing more than four kilograms. Banuelos is slated to be released from prison in April 2028, according to state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials.
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