The following people are regarded as dangerous and armed individuals: Anyone with information is asked to contact the United States Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102 or the closest United States Marshals Service District Office without attempting to catch any of these fugitives yourself.
1. Osama bin Laden
Years on List: 1999–2011 Osama bin Laden, the founder of Al-Qaeda, was in charge of planning multiple terrorist attacks. Although he is best known for what happened on September 11, 2001, he was first listed by the FBI two years prior, having been involved in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Following the 9/11 attacks, the FBI placed a $25 million bounty on bin Laden’s head, and he managed to elude capture for more than ten years before being shot and killed by U.S. military forces in Abbottabad (bawd), Pakistan, in May 2011.
2. James Earl Ray
Years on List: 1968, 1977 James Earl Ray, already a convicted armed robber and fraudster, gained notoriety for his 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Ray had previously broken free from prison the year before, fled up north to Canada and lived a low-key life until being apprehended in London and brought back to the United States to stand trial for his crime, where he entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Ray’s name had previously appeared on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives list in 1968, but it reappeared in 1977 after he broke out of prison with six other inmates. Three days later, Ray was recaptured, and he passed away in prison at the age of 70.
3. Theodore “Ted” Bundy
Year on List: 1978 Ted Bundy was one of the most notorious serial killers in history, having killed at least thirty women in the 1970s. He was apprehended in 1975 but managed to elude capture twice, killing even more victims while he was on the run. Bundy used his attractiveness and charm to entice his victims, then attacked and killed them. His name was added to the FBI’s list following his second escape from prison, and he was taken into custody during a traffic stop five days later. After two widely reported trials, Bundy was found guilty of three murders and executed by electric chair in 1989.
4. James “Whitey” Bulger
Years on List: 1999–2011 James “Whitey” Bulger, the head of the Winter Hill Gang, was one of the most infamous mob bosses to ever emerge from Boston. He was involved in several illegal activities, including money laundering, extortion, murder, and racketeering, but he also served as an FBI informant against other mobs. In the face of imminent prosecution, Bulger fled Boston and went into hiding for sixteen years, during which time he was added to the list and, at one point, the second most wanted person in the US, only to Osama bin Laden. After being captured in 2011, Bulger was found guilty of his numerous crimes and sentenced to life in prison. In 2018, he was killed by fellow prisoners.
5. Semion Mogilevich
Years on List: 2009–15 Arms trafficking, racketeering, money laundering, contract murders, and more are just a few of the offenses that Russian mafia boss Semion Mogilevich is accused of committing. Dubbed “the most dangerous mobster in the world,” Mogilevich was put on the Most Wanted List in 2009 after defrauding investors of a Canadian company he oversaw of millions of dollars. It was a long shot, as the Feds knew he had high-profile connections in Russia and was living freely in Moscow. Although Mogilevich was removed from the list in 2015, the FBI is still actively pursuing him.
6. Rafael Caro Quintero
Years on List: 2018–The massive $20 million reward for information leading to Rafael Caro Quintero’s capture is the highest amount offered for an FBI Most Wanted Fugitive. Caro Quintero, one of the Guadalajara Cartel’s founders, was imprisoned in 1985 for his involvement in the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar (salla-SAR). He was freed in 2013 following the decision of a Mexican state tribunal that ruled that his murder trial should have taken place in a state rather than a federal court. Following protests from the Obama administration, the Mexican government issued a new arrest warrant a few days later. However, Caro Quintero had long since fled and was still being sought by authorities.
7. Leonard Peltier
Years on List: 1975–1976 The criminal case of Leonard Peltier has been the subject of intense debate for decades. A participant in the American Indian Movement and activist, Peltier was listed as wanted for his role in the murder of two FBI agents at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. After being apprehended in Canada, he was extradited to the United States, where he was tried and found guilty. The trial raised several issues regarding the quality of the evidence used and the testimony of the witnesses, some of which have since been retracted. Despite pleas for clemency from several human rights organizations and influential politicians, Peltier’s convictions—two life sentences and extra time for a 1979 prison escape—remain intact.
8. William Bradford Bishop, Jr.
Years on List: 2014–18 Before the horrifying events of March 1, 1976, William Bradford Bishop Jr. was living the American dream. He was married to his high school sweetheart, had three boys, and was a Yale alum. After learning that he had been passed over for a promotion on that fateful day, Bishop allegedly returned home and killed his mother and family. The federal authorities have been searching for Bishop for decades, following lead after lead, but have yielded no results. From 2014 to 2018, Bishop was listed as one of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives but was removed from the list in favor of more dangerous individuals.
9. Víctor Manuel Gerena
Years on List: 1984–2016: At 32 years old, Víctor Manuel Gerena holds the record for the longest stint on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. In 1983, while working as an armored car guard for Wells Fargo, he and his accomplices carried out the largest cash theft on US soil, robbing the company of $7 million. Shortly after the robbery, Gerena fled to Mexico and has not been seen since. The following year, the FBI added him to their list, and he stayed there until 2016 when he was taken off. Although many of his co-conspirators have since been apprehended, Gerena’s whereabouts are still unknown.
10. Thomas James Holden
Years on List: 1950–51 Over the last 70 years, the FBI has listed over 500 names on its Most Wanted Fugitives List. The first was Thomas James Holden, a career criminal who first came to the agency’s attention as half of the infamous Holden-Keating Gang. Holden and Francis Keating embarked on a series of bank robberies, payroll deliveries, and train robberies in the Midwest during the 1920s and 1930s. Holden shot his wife and her two brothers on a drunken night, then fled the scene. The following year, he was listed as the first fugitive on the FBI’s inaugural list. Ultimately, Holden was apprehended and returned to prison.
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