A perfect ten: The FBI captures all of its most wanted fugitives and arrests the leader of Tren de Aragua in Venezuela

FBI Director Kash Patel told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that the bureau has captured all 10 fugitives on the agency's current Most Wanted list since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Patel revealed that the most recent capture took place in Venezuela, where authorities arrested Aníbal Alexander Canelon Aguirre, also known by the aliases "El Ingeniero" and "Prometeo," who had been wanted by the FBI for years and was accused of leading an international criminal operation linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

"Just this weekend, we captured a fugitive in Venezuela who was on our Most Wanted list and had been on the run for years. He has been captured, detained, and is on his way back to the United States. That's ten out of ten. We, the FBI, have apprehended more than two and a half times the number of fugitives from the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list during the previous administration," Patel stated during the hearing. However, the bureau director did not provide additional information about the circumstances of Canelon's capture, nor did he identify the Venezuelan authorities who participated in the operation.

According to the FBI, Canelon led groups within the United States that stole millions of dollars from financial institutions to benefit Tren de Aragua. Investigators maintain that the network employed a method known as "ATM jackpotting," using malware or other techniques to force ATMs to dispense cash without authorization.

Trump administration's security successes

The member of the terrorist organization faced charges that included conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank robbery, and intentional damage to a protected computer system. The FBI had offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest. Canelon's capture marks the tenth fugitive on the FBI's current Most Wanted list to be apprehended during Patel's tenure. The operation also highlights the FBI's efforts against transnational criminal networks and the alleged links between cyber-facilitated financial crimes in the United States and organized crime in Latin America.

Beyond the Most Wanted list, Patel presented other figures related to security and law enforcement operations during the Trump administration. The director stated that the FBI had arrested 54,000 violent criminals, 31,000 gang members, and 5,072 child sex predators and human traffickers.

The director also stated that agents had located 11,081 children and made 4,260 arrests related to foreign terrorist organizations. Similarly, Patel added that the agency has also captured six of the 10 individuals on a list of the most wanted fraudsters, compiled by the FBI during the current administration.

"In addition to that, we have apprehended six of the world's most wanted fraudsters. Reducing the homicide rate by 20 points is no easy feat. It requires the joint efforts of teams and state, local, and international partners. This includes results in cities such as Baltimore, which recorded its lowest mid-year homicide figures in its recorded history," he said.