A senior leader in the Chaldean Catholic Church was arrested Thursday at San Diego International Airport while allegedly attempting to board an international flight.
Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, head of a Chaldean Catholic church in El Cajon, California, was detained by deputies as he was reportedly trying to leave the country,The San Diego Union-Tribunereported.
The Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, with roots in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq).
Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta (Bishop Emanuel Shaleta) was born in Fishkabour-Zakho, Iraq.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Shaleta, 69, was arrested at the airport Thursday and booked into jail on suspicion of eight counts each of embezzlement and money laundering, along with an enhancement for aggravated white-collar crime. Authorities set bail at $125,000.
According to theSan Diego County Sheriff’s Office:
On August 19, 2025, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a representative from St. Peter Chaldean Church,which is located at 1627 Jamacha Wayin Unincorporated El Cajon.
The church representative provided a statement and documents showing potential embezzlement from the church. Upon completion of the initial investigation, the case was forwarded to and investigated by the Sheriff’s Fraud Unit.
On Thursday, March 5, 2026, Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta was contacted and detained at the San Diego International Airport attempting to leave the country. He was arrested for eight counts of 508 PC – Embezzlement, eight counts of 186.10(a) PC – Money Laundering, and one count of 186.11(a)(1) PC – Aggravated White Collar Crime Enhancement.
Shaleta was transported and booked at the San Diego Central Jail for the aforementioned charges. He is currently being held on $125,000 bail and a hold under Penal Code section 1275.1 was approved by the court.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
