On Friday, the FBI celebrated the 75th anniversary of its “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list, a notorious collection of criminals that has captured the interest of Hollywood and true-crime enthusiasts for many years.
Since its establishment in 1950, the list has been a valuable tool in garnering public attention and ensuring that the most dangerous criminals are apprehended, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Over 500 fugitives have been featured on the list, with infamous names like Ted Bundy and Osama Bin Laden among them.
The original version of the list was sent by FBI founding Director J. Edgar Hoover to the United Press International wire agency. Its purpose was to generate public interest in law enforcement and assist in capturing the FBI’s most elusive criminals.
The list quickly captured the imagination of the American public, inspiring characters in numerous novels, comic books, movies, and TV shows, including the popular series “FBI: Most Wanted.”
According to the FBI, the list has evolved from featuring bank robbers and murderers to targeting major organized crime figures, cybercriminals, child predators, and white-collar criminals. The agency also released a commemorative logo for the occasion.
The current top 10 list includes Bulgarian fraudster Ruja Ignatava, the only woman on the list, who is accused of scamming investors out of billions of dollars and has a $5 million bounty on her head.
Other fugitives on the list include accused killer Omar Alexander Cardenas ($250,000 bounty), accused drug trafficker Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores ($5 million bounty), and Haitian crime boss Vitel’Homme Innocent, wanted for the kidnapping of 17 American missionaries in 2021 ($2 million bounty).
