Blow to crime: FBI captures the last fugitive from its most wanted list in Venezuela
The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, confirmed this Tuesday a significant milestone in American security by announcing the capture on Venezuelan territory of the last member of the agency’s list of the ten most wanted fugitives. With this operation, the FBI completes the arrest of all the individuals who made up this top-priority group.
During his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patel detailed that the apprehension occurred last weekend, putting an end to years of pursuit against this fugitive from justice. Although the FBI director initially kept the identity confidential, he confirmed that the detainee is already in the process of being transferred to the United States to face the charges against him.
Who is the detainee?
Official reports have identified the captured individual as Aníbal Alexander Canelón Aguirre, a Venezuelan citizen who had been included on the ten most wanted list last March. The federal agency has classified Canelón Aguirre as its first cyber-profile fugitive, due to the nature of his criminal activities.
This weekend we captured in Venezuela a criminal who was on our most wanted list and had been a fugitive for years.
Kash Patel, FBI Director
A criminal record of international scope
The FBI links Canelón Aguirre to a sophisticated criminal conspiracy that operated internationally. Among the crimes he is charged with are:
- Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft.
- Intentional damage to computer systems.
- Money laundering.
- Providing material support to terrorist groups.
The investigation indicates that the detainee led cells on U.S. soil specialized in the method known as “ATM jackpotting,” a technique that uses malicious software to force cash dispensing from ATMs. According to authorities, the money stolen through these illicit operations was funneled through a money laundering network with direct connections to the Tren de Aragua.
The official announcement was made during a session of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Director Patel corrected Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, clarifying that it was not nine, but ten fugitives who had been captured, thus closing a significant chapter for the intelligence and national security of the United States.
