BI Intensifies Fugitive Crackdown: Sex Offender, Gambling Kingpin Arrested

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado

BI Intensifies Fugitive Crackdown: Sex Offender, Gambling Kingpin Arrested

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | August 24, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) has intensified its operations against international fugitives, successfully apprehending a convicted sex offender and a high-profile online gambling kingpin. These significant arrests, highlighting robust collaboration with international and local law enforcement, underscore the BI’s unwavering commitment to disrupting criminal networks and safeguarding public safety.

US Sex Offender Captured in Cavite

On August 19, the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU), in a joint operation with the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service–Overseas Criminal Investigations (DSS-OCI) and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group–Child Protection Force Unit (CIDG-CPFU), apprehended 74-year-old American fugitive William Joseph Sullivan in Tanza, Cavite.

Sullivan was located in a residential area of Barangay Paradahan I. He is wanted in the United States for violating his supervised release stemming from Criminal Sexual Conduct charges. US authorities sought BI assistance following a warrant issued by the Minnesota Department of Corrections in April 2026. BI records confirm Sullivan entered the Philippines as a temporary visitor earlier this year.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado declared, “The Philippines is not a sanctuary for fugitives, especially those accused or convicted of crimes involving sexual exploitation or abuse. Our units will relentlessly pursue foreign nationals who threaten our communities.” This operation aligns with the BI’s #ShieldKids campaign, a dedicated initiative to protect children and vulnerable persons. Sullivan is now at the BI Warden’s Facility for legal proceedings.

Korean Gambling Kingpin Arrested in Cavite

In a separate, equally impactful operation on August 7, the BI apprehended 29-year-old South Korean national Kim Youngsun, wanted in her home country for alleged involvement in a massive illegal online gambling syndicate.

BI FSU operatives, in coordination with South Korean authorities and the Philippine National Police–Intelligence Group (PNP-IG), apprehended Kim in a residential area along Governor Ferrer Drive in Barangay Buenavista I, General Trias, Cavite.

The arrest stemmed from an Incheon District Court warrant issued in April 2025. Kim is accused of operating a cyber gambling house, reportedly managing 23 illegal online gambling websites from offices in Pasay City and Quezon City since November 2018. As an assistant manager for the support team, she allegedly oversaw multiple operational units within a syndicate estimated to have generated approximately KRW 5.33 trillion in illicit proceeds through online sports betting. An Interpol Red Notice for Kim was published in June 2025.

BI records confirm Kim entered the Philippines as a temporary visitor in 2025, and her authorized stay has since expired, rendering her an overstaying foreign national.

Commissioner Viado emphasized, “This arrest exemplifies the BI’s commitment to collaborating with international and local law enforcement agencies to locate foreign fugitives hiding within the country.” Kim has been transported to the BI’s Warden Facility for custodial proceedings.

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