US fugitive Joanne Deborah Byron, known as 'Assata Shakur,' died in Havana
In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio requested the extradition from the island of Chesimard, convicted of the 1973 murder of a New Jersey state trooper and a refugee from the Cuban dictatorship for some four decades.
Joanne Chesimard fugitive from justice poster.
This Friday, Cuba reported the death of U.S. fugitive Joanne Deborah Byron, also known as "Assata Shakur." According to a short note from the regime, she died due to "health problems and her advanced age".
In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio requested the extradition from the island of Chesimard, convicted of the murder of a New Jersey state trooper in 1973, and a refugee of the Cuban dictatorship for four decades.
">The #FBI offers a reward of up to $1,000,000 for info directly leading to the apprehension of Joanne Chesimard, wanted for escaping from prison in Clinton, NJ, while serving a life sentence for the May 2, 1973, murder of a New Jersey State Police trooper: https://t.co/d22Ij0XTFT pic.twitter.com/wKZTasJV43
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) May 2, 2025
"The Cuban regime continues to provide safe haven for terrorists and criminals, including fugitives from the United States," Rubio said in a statement to Fox News at the time, recalling an anniversary of "The brutal killing of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster."
Assata Shakur in 2013 became the first woman listed on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list. U.S. authorities consider her a "domestic terrorist" and warn that she should be considered "armed and dangerous."
In 2025 the FBI offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading directly to her capture.
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Another 70 U.S. citizens fugitives from justice live in Cuba
While the U.S. government insisted on her extradition, Cuban authorities maintained that she is the target of political persecution. Some civil rights organizations and pro-communist activists on the island even regarded her as a symbol of Black resistance in the U.S.
Although her extradition was discussed on several occasions, no progress was ever made. It is currently estimated that more than 70 U.S. citizens who are fugitives from justice reside on the Caribbean island under the protection of the Cuban government.
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