Full Breakdown
FBI Announces Complete Capture of Its Ten Most-Wanted Fugitives
By Drooid · · How we work
Historic Sweep of the FBI’s Most Wanted List
On September 15, 2026, FBI Director Kash Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the bureau had apprehended all ten individuals on its “Most Wanted” list during President Donald Trump’s second term. Patel corrected Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who had earlier said nine fugitives had been captured, noting that a tenth suspect was seized the previous weekend in Venezuela.
Background and Context
The announcement followed a series of high-profile operations that the bureau says surpass the capture rate of the prior administration by more than two-and-a-half times. The tenth individual, identified by the FBI as Anibal Alexander Canelon Aguirre, is described as the agency’s first “cyber fugitive,” alleged to have led an international scheme that stole millions from financial institutions in support of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua.
Data and Statistics
- 10 / 10 fugitives on the traditional “Most Wanted” list captured.
- 6 of the top ten “most wanted fraudsters” (a list created by the FBI during the current administration) also apprehended.
- Reported homicide reductions: a 50 % drop in Memphis and historically low mid-year homicide numbers in Baltimore; Washington, D.C. on track for its lowest homicide count since 1990.
Official Statements & Responses
Patel framed the sweep as “unprecedented in FBI history,” emphasizing the coordination of federal, state, local and international partners. He linked the captures to broader law-enforcement outcomes, citing the homicide declines as evidence of the Trump administration’s “law-and-order” initiatives. Grassley, in his opening remarks, praised the bureau’s overall performance, though Patel’s correction highlighted the exact number of successes.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Mr. Chairman, I'm proud to announce today, and I hate to correct you, we haven't captured nine of the top 10 most [wanted] individuals on our list. We've captured 10,” — Kash Patel, FBI director
- “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 10 of 10. Nobody in the FBI history has done that,” — Kash Patel, FBI director
- “This year in Memphis, we accomplished a 50% reduction in homicide for a city that had the highest per capita homicide rate in the country, thanks to the president's task force. And right here in Washington, D.C., we are on track to have the lowest homicide numbers since 1990,” — Kash Patel, FBI director