3 ‘Top 10’ Fugitives Captured in Less Than 3 Months, FBI says

FBI Director Kash Patel also told lawmakers that the bureau’s mission cannot continue without investment and support.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has won three of the world’s “top 10 most wanted” fugitives since President Donald Trump took office in January, FBI director Kash Patel said Wednesday.

“Three people in under three months,” Patel emphasized during his remarks before a House Budget Subcommittee on Wednesday.

Patel highlighted major arrests as the House members reviewed the proposed 2026 budget to the Bureau.

The FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List was first established in March 1950 as a partnership with news media. At the time, the FBI recognized the need for public assistance in pursuing fugitives. This list is designed to promote dangerous fugitives who may otherwise not attract national attention. According to the agency, 163 fugitives on the list have been captured or placed as a result of citizen recognition.

The three fugitives captured by the FBI include the defendant’s child rapist, suspected murder and a senior leader in MS-13.

On January 25th, 2025, Donald Eugene Fields II was taken into custody after a routine police traffic stop in Florida. The fugitive was sought on federal child sex trafficking charges and state charges of child rape. After he left his home, a warrant for his arrest was issued and in March 2022 he was unable to compete in a court hearing. The field was added to the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives list in May 2023.

On January 30, 2025, Arnold Jimenez was caught by an FBI agent in Monterrey, Mexico. Jimenez was wanted for first-degree murder in connection with the 2012 death of Estrella Carrera, who died in a bathtub within 48 hours of marriage. After he was charged in the case, a state warrant was issued for his arrest. A federal arrest warrant was then issued after Jimenez was charged with a federal government for illegal flights to avoid indictment.

On March 18, the FBI arrested Francisco Javier Roman Badales. The suspect, a senior leader of the MS-13 gang, was handed over from Mexico and charged in the US. Roman Baderless was sought for his suspected role in ordering violence against rival gang members and civilians. He is also said to have been involved in the distribution and terr schemes of the United States and El Salvador.

“The mission is a mission that never fails,” Patel said Wednesday that he tracked fugitives about the FBI’s business and kept the country safe. “If we fail, America’s lives will be in danger or lost.”

Patel told House Adator on Wednesday that the bureau’s mission cannot continue without investment and support, adding that funding is required for nationwide operations and field offices across the country and implementing the Trump agenda to actively crack down on criminal activity.

Patel said he plans to send 1,000 agents currently in the DC area to field offices nationwide.

Democrats, who spend the House of Representatives, pushed Patel in the 2026 budget proposed by the Trump administration.

Rep. Rosa Delauro (D-Conn.) noted the cuts by nearly $5 billion, suggesting that Patel appears to acknowledge that the budget requested by the administration is not sufficient to meet the needs of its agents. She asked Patel which position he was trying to cut under the proposed budget.

Patel said he is working on through the budgeting process and explains why the agency needs more funds than what was proposed.

“It’s not a FBI, it’s a budget proposal,” Patel said. “The proposed budget I proposed is to cover us with $11.1 billion, but that doesn’t cut our position.

Without funding, the FBI “is at risk of making trade-offs that put Americans at risk,” Patel said.

The FBI director argued that the agency’s achievements, including the capture of the three most wanted fugitives since Trump took office, are evidence of the FBI’s commitment to its mission to protect its homeland.

From NTD News