On the 75th anniversary of the 'Ten Most Wanted Fugitives' list, the FBI's Dallas division is reflecting on the history of the program and local fugitives that made the list.
The list originated from a newspaper article written in 1949, according to the Dallas division. A reporter for the International News Service asked the FBI for the names and descriptions of the “toughest guys” the FBI would like to capture.
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WATCH HEREAfter positive reactions and widespread appeal from the story, former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover implemented the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” program. Since it's inception on March 14, 1950, 496 individuals have been apprehended or located, the FBI says. Of those 496, the FBI in Dallas have added and located seven fugitives.
In a press release, the Dallas FBI recognized three notable fugitives from that list.
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SIGN UP - Jose Rodolfo Villarreal-Hernandez, aka “El Gato." He is behind bars in North Texas, accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot in the 2013 killing of a 43-year-old government informant in Southlake. "El Gato" was added to the list on Oct. 13, 2020. On Jan. 7, 2023, he was arrested.
- Brenda Delgado was placed on the list on April 6, 2016. Two days later, she was apprehended. Delgado was found guilty of capital murder in 2019 for orchestrating a plot that resulted in the death of 35-year-old dentist Dr. Kendra Hatcher.
- Yaser Said was placed on the list December 4, 2014, wanted for the killing of his two daughters Sara and Amina in 2008, in what prosecutors called an "honor killing." He spent six years on the most wanted list before his arrest in 2020. In 2022, Said was convicted of capital murder.
“The ‘Ten Most Wanted Fugitives’ program is successful because it employs law enforcement’s best
collective resource – people who want to see justice served for their communities,” said Dallas FBI
Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We are grateful for the cooperation from law enforcement,
prosecutors and media who bring attention to wanted criminals so they cannot simply blend into society.”
The program designates a minimum $250,000 reward for information that directly leads to the arrest of a person on the list.
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The FBI in Dallas does not currently have anyone on the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list.
