Authorities Searching For Navy Reservist Accused of Killing Wife

Federal and local authorities are engaged in a sweeping international search for a U.S. Navy reservist on active duty who is accused of brutally murdering his wife and fleeing the country.

Police in Norfolk, Virginia, identified the suspect as 38-year-old David Varela. Officers made the grisly discovery on Feb. 5 after relatives reported 39-year-old Lina Maria Guerra Echavarria missing. Her body was found inside a kitchen freezer at the couple’s apartment.

An autopsy conducted Feb. 10 determined that Guerra Echavarria’s death was a homicide. Varela has since been charged with first-degree murder and concealing a dead body to prevent detection.

According to a federal affidavit, authorities believe Varela departed the United States on or about Feb. 5 and traveled to Hong Kong. Investigators reportedly relied on emergency disclosure requests and WhatsApp location data, which showed his phone pinging in Hong Kong — despite officials stating he has no known ties to the region.

Law enforcement agencies, including the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI, are coordinating efforts to locate and apprehend the suspect. Prosecutors have filed paperwork requesting an Interpol Red Notice to facilitate his arrest and extradition back to the United States.

The FBI told Fox News Digital that the bureau is “unwavering in its support of our local partners and will leverage its full investigative and international capabilities to help ensure those responsible for violent crimes are held accountable — regardless of where they attempt to flee.”

Family members described the ordeal as deeply disturbing. Relatives told local media that in the weeks before Guerra Echavarria was reported missing, Varela allegedly misled them by claiming she had been jailed on unrelated charges.

Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive, and the investigation remains ongoing, Fox4Dallas reported.

While law enforcement agencies pursue justice in Virginia, the War Department under President Donald J. Trump’s second administration continues an aggressive campaign abroad aimed at dismantling transnational narcotics networks that threaten American communities.

U.S. Southern Command announced in December that American forces conducted another lethal kinetic strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four suspected narco-terrorists and destroying a smuggling vessel believed to be transporting a significant quantity of illicit drugs.

The operation, authorized by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth under Operation Southern Spear, marked the 22nd strike targeting cartel-linked traffickers in international waters. According to Southern Command, the cumulative number of suspected narco-terrorists killed in these maritime interdictions now stands at approximately 87.

U.S. Southern Command detailed the strike in a post on X, describing it as a targeted action against a drug-smuggling vessel operating in international waters. The command referred to those killed as “four male narco-terrorists.”

Unclassified video released with the announcement showed a heavily laden vessel equipped with three outboard motors engulfed in flames after being struck by U.S. forces. The strike was reportedly the first such action against a narco-trafficking vessel since Nov. 15.

The administration’s decisive use of military force in international waters has drawn criticism from some members of Congress who question the scope of executive authority in counter-narcotics operations. However, supporters argue that dismantling cartel infrastructure before drugs reach American shores is both a constitutional exercise of national defense and a moral imperative to protect American families.

As domestic law enforcement agencies coordinate across borders to pursue an accused killer, U.S. military forces continue to project strength abroad — reinforcing the principle that whether confronting violent crime at home or narco-terrorism overseas, the United States will not retreat from enforcing the rule of law.