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FBI's Final Most-Wanted Fugitive Captured in Venezuela
(MENAFN) The United States confirmed Tuesday that Anibal Alexander Canelon Aguirre — known by the aliases "El Ingeniero" and "Prometeo" — has been captured in Venezuela, closing out the FBI's list of its 10 Most Wanted Fugitives.
FBI Director Kash Patel delivered the news during a US Senate hearing, telling lawmakers: "Just this past weekend, we captured a thug down in Venezuela who was on our most wanted list and on the run for years,"
"He has been captured, apprehended, and is on his way back to the United States of America. That's ten of ten," Patel added.
Canelon's capture makes him the tenth and final fugitive from the bureau's current top-10 list to be taken down under Patel's leadership.
The hearing also served as a broader progress report on the FBI's enforcement record. Patel told senators the bureau had carried out 54,000 arrests of violent offenders, 31,000 arrests tied to gang membership, and 5,072 arrests connected to child predators and human traffickers. He further reported that agents had located 11,081 missing children and made 4,260 arrests linked to foreign terrorist organizations.
Canelon stands accused of masterminding an international scheme that allegedly sent operatives into the US to siphon millions of dollars from banks in support of Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan criminal gang. Investigators say the network relied on "ATM jackpotting" — a method using malware or other tools to force cash machines to dispense money without authorization.
He also faces charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank robbery, and intentionally damaging a protected computer system. The FBI had put up a reward of as much as $1 million for tips leading to his capture.
The arrest represents the latest move in a broader US crackdown on suspected transnational criminal and financial networks, and underscores growing concern over the alleged ties between cyber-driven financial crime in the US and organized crime operations across Latin America.
US officials have released no further details on how the capture unfolded or which Venezuelan authorities were involved in the operation.
FBI Director Kash Patel delivered the news during a US Senate hearing, telling lawmakers: "Just this past weekend, we captured a thug down in Venezuela who was on our most wanted list and on the run for years,"
"He has been captured, apprehended, and is on his way back to the United States of America. That's ten of ten," Patel added.
Canelon's capture makes him the tenth and final fugitive from the bureau's current top-10 list to be taken down under Patel's leadership.
The hearing also served as a broader progress report on the FBI's enforcement record. Patel told senators the bureau had carried out 54,000 arrests of violent offenders, 31,000 arrests tied to gang membership, and 5,072 arrests connected to child predators and human traffickers. He further reported that agents had located 11,081 missing children and made 4,260 arrests linked to foreign terrorist organizations.
Canelon stands accused of masterminding an international scheme that allegedly sent operatives into the US to siphon millions of dollars from banks in support of Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan criminal gang. Investigators say the network relied on "ATM jackpotting" — a method using malware or other tools to force cash machines to dispense money without authorization.
He also faces charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank robbery, and intentionally damaging a protected computer system. The FBI had put up a reward of as much as $1 million for tips leading to his capture.
The arrest represents the latest move in a broader US crackdown on suspected transnational criminal and financial networks, and underscores growing concern over the alleged ties between cyber-driven financial crime in the US and organized crime operations across Latin America.
US officials have released no further details on how the capture unfolded or which Venezuelan authorities were involved in the operation.
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