- Alexis Flores, on the FBI's Most Wanted List - FBI
The Ten Most Wanted List by the FBI was created in 1950 by J. Edgar Hoover, then director of the Bureau, as a way to promote the institution and, at the same, help arrest particularly dangerous criminals. It still exists today and has been featured in dozens of Hollywood movies and crime novels.
How the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives Are Chosen
As the name of the list indicates, only ten criminals can be on the list at any given time, although a few exceptions have been made in the past 60 years. They remain on it until they are arrested, until their death or until charges against them are dropped. In five cases, the FBI has also removed individuals from the list because they were not considered as a serious threat against the public anymore.
The criminals featured on the list are chosen by the Bureau at its own discretion. The main criteria for deciding on the inclusion of a criminal is his or her alleged crimes and their impact on society. The threat posed by the criminal against the general public is another major factor.
Most criminals placed on the list are authors of violent crimes such as murder, armed robbery and rape. However, in recent years, the Ten Most Wanted List has seen the addition of perpetrators of financial crimes, such as money laundering.
Criminals Currently on the FBI Ten Most Wanted List
In July 2010, ten men are currently on the list, even though women have been added in the past. Victor Manuel Gerrena has been on the list the longest, having been added in 1984. The fugitives currently listed are:
- Victor Manuel Gerena and Jason Derek Brown, wanted for armed robbery. Brown is also wanted for murder.
- Glen Stewart Godwin, James J. Bulger, Robert William Fisher, Alexis Flores and Jose Luis Saenz, who have committed murders and additional crimes.
- Eduardo Ravelo, wanted for drug trafficking.
- Semion Mogilevich, a Russian national accused of having defrauded thousands of investors using a complex financial scheme.
- Usama Bin Laden, undoubtedly the most famous fugitive on the list, wanted on terrorism charges for acts perpetrated both in the United States on 9/11 and abroad.
A reward is offered by the FBI for information leading to the arrest of those criminals. However, the Bureau has always strongly advised members of the public not to take any action in order to apprehend them. If a private citizen has information regarding the whereabouts of one of the men on that list, the best and safest course of action would be to directly contact the local authorities or the FBI.
Sources:
Fbi.gov (accessed on July 27th 2010)
Forbes.com - The World's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives (accessed on July 27th 2010)
Nicolas Henrion - Nicolas Henrion started his writing career for the now defunct Geocities website, back in the nineties. As a Community Leader, he was in ...
