Drug traffickers, murderers and swindlers: The FBI's most wanted fugitives

In recent months, the FBI has been boosting its operations to try to find its most wanted fugitives. The agency led by Kash Patel has tracked down and arrested some of them, thanks to its individual action and joint operations with international law enforcement. It is also raising financial rewards for information of any kind to help locate them.

The latest to fall was Francisco Javier Román-Bardales, known as "El Viejo," one of the leaders of the dangerous Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, which for years served as a nexus between drug manufacturers in Mexico and El Salvador and recipients in the United States. Authorities have spent three years trying to track him down, until finally, thanks to an operation with Mexico, they found him and arrested him, charging him with organized crime and narcoterrorism. He now faces life in prison or even the death penalty.

With the capture of Román-Bardales, the FBI will update its list of 10 most wanted fugitives. The names of the following criminals remain on the list, accused of leading international drug trafficking organizations or murder networks, among other crimes that can be sanctioned with the harshest sentences established in the law.

Wilver Villegas-Palomino

A native of Curumani, Colombia, Wilver Villegas-Palomino is one of the leaders of the terrorist organization National Liberation Army (ELN).

An arrest warrant was issued for his arrest in February 2020. He is charged with "narcoterrorism, conspiracy for international cocaine distribution and international cocaine distribution" and a reward of $5 million is offered for information on his whereabouts.

Ryan James Wedding

Ryan James Wedding, a Canadian criminal and former Olympian, is charged with narcotics trafficking and murder. Recently, the FBI added him to the list of its 10 most wanted fugitives.

Law enforcement is trying to track him down for "allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking ring that routinely transported hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and elsewhere in the United States, and for orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder in furtherance of these drug-related crimes," according to the FBI. The reward for information on his whereabouts is $10 million.

Ruja Ignatova

Nicknamed the "Cryptoqueen," Ruja Ignatova, originally from Bulgaria, is wanted for "her alleged involvement in a large-scale fraud scheme." It is estimated that she scammed people out of around $4 billion worldwide.

She is charged with "conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud." Last year, the FBI raised the reward amount to $5 million.

Omar Alexander Cardenas

A California native, the FBI is seeking Omar Alexander Cardenas for "his alleged involvement in the murder of a man that occurred on August 15, 2019, at a large shopping mall near Los Angeles." He was allegedly the perpetrator of several shots fired from a semi-automatic handgun. Authorities are offering a reward of $250,000 for any information leading to Cardenas' whereabouts.

Vitel'Homme Innocent

Vitel'Homme Innocent, a Haitian criminal leader of the Kraze Barye gang, is accused of being the mastermind behind the kidnapping of 17 Christian missionaries in Haiti in October 2021. Among the group of hostages were five minors.

His wanted warrant lists charges of "conspiracy to commit hostage taking; hostage taking; conspiracy to commit hostage taking resulting in death." Any useful tip on his location will be rewarded with $2 million.

Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores

Known as "El Chapo Isidro," Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores is a Mexican drug trafficker who allegedly heads the Meza-Flores Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO), an armed group based in Sinaloa that is in charge of producing large quantities of drugs such as methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and marijuana, and distributing them throughout the United States. There are reportedly strong ties between him and the Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán family.

In 2019, an arrest warrant was issued for Meza-Flores, charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking and use and possession of firearms. The reward for his whereabouts is $5 million.

Alejandro Rosales Castillo

Hailing from Arizona, Alejandro Rosales Castillo is wanted for his alleged involvement inthe 2016 murder of a young woman in Charlotte, N.C. The FBI, which is offering a reward of $250,000, believes he lives in Mexico, somewhere in the states of Aguascalientes, Guanajuato or Veracruz.

Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias

Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias, a Honduran national, is wanted for being the presumed leader of MS-13 in Honduras. An arrest warrant was issued for him on charges related to organized crime, drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms. He also provided logistical support to the criminal group's leadership.

The FBI is trying to track down Archaga Carias and is conducting a joint operation with Honduran and Salvadoran law enforcement. They are offering $5 million for information on his location.

Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel

Like Rosales Castillo and Cardenas, Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, born in India, is charged with murder. He was the alleged killer of his wife in Maryland in April 2015, who was found with several blows to her body delivered with a blunt object at the store where they both worked. The reward is $250,000.