Murderous illegal alien fugitive lived high in D.C.

A Panamanian murderer who escaped a prison in the Central American country has been captured in the District, where authorities say he used a fake Social Security card to obtain federally subsidized housing and cruised around town in three luxury cars.

The FBI was led to 36-year-old Juan Barrera by an anonymous caller who claimed Barrera was planning to fire a rocket launcher at a Metro train, according to an affidavit recently filed in Greenbelt's federal court.

The tip began an around-the-clock investigation, the affidavit said. The FBI staked out Barrera's third-floor apartment at 1405 Montana Ave., NE, for two days in late January before detaining him. Authorities said in court documents that Barrera did not own a rocket launcher and had no plans to attack Metro.

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Authorities also found that Barrera had three cars registered to his alias in the District: a 1998 Lexus, a 2003 Infiniti and a 2008 Acura.

Barrera reportedly told authorities he entered the United States by sneaking in through Mexico, the affidavit said.