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Víctor Manuel Gerena (born June 24, 1958) is an American
fugitive
A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also known ...
wanted by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
for the September 1983
White Eagle armed robbery, as a Wells Fargo employee and a member of the
Boricua Popular Army
The ''Ejército Popular Boricua'' ("Boricua Popular/People's Army"), also known as ''Los Macheteros'' ("The Machete Wielders"), is a clandestine militant and insurgent organization based in Puerto Rico, with cells in the states and other nation ...
, of a
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...
armored car facility. The $7 million in cash (roughly about $18 million as of May 2021) was the largest cash robbery in U.S. history at that time.
On May 14, 1984, Gerena became the
386th fugitive to be placed on the FBI's
Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He remains at large, and on April 11, 2010, became the fugitive to have spent the most time on the list,
surpassing
Donald Eugene Webb
Donald Eugene Webb (born Donald Eugene Perkins; July 14, 1931 – December 30, 1999) was an American career criminal wanted for attempted burglary and the murder of police chief Gregory Adams in the small town of Saxonburg, Pennsylvania on Dec ...
, who was removed from the list on March 31, 2007, after 25 years, 10 months, and 27 days. There were no leads for many years and Webb was presumed dead.
[Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...]
"> Gerena was removed from the list on December 15, 2016, after 32 years. Gerena is believed to be living in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
.
Bank heist
According to law enforcement authorities, on September 12, 1983, Gerena dropped off his girlfriend at
Hartford City Hall, where she was to get a marriage license for the couple. He then went to work and spent the rest of the day with co-workers James McKeon and Timothy Girard. At some point, Gerena removed McKeon's gun, handcuffed and tied up his two co-workers, and injected them with aspirin and water in order to further disable them (Gerena thought it would make them sleepy), which did not work.
He put $7,000,000 in the trunk of a car, then left with the money.
Fugitive
According to published reports, Gerena was transported to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
where he boarded a
Cubana de Aviación
Cubana de Aviación S.A., commonly known as Cubana, is Cuba's flag carrier, as well as the country's largest airline. It was founded in , becoming one of the earliest airlines to emerge in Latin America. It has its corporate headquarters in Ha ...
jet at
Mexico City International Airport
Mexico City International Airport ( es, link=yes, Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México, AICM); officially ''Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez'' (Benito Juárez International Airport) is the main international airport serving ...
in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, arriving at
José Martí International Airport
José Martí International Airport , sometimes known by its former name Rancho Boyeros Airport, is an international airport located southwest of the centre of Havana, Cuba, and is a hub for Cubana de Aviación and Aerogaviota, and former Latin ...
in
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. . Years later, a cousin of Gerena accompanied journalist Edmund Mahoney to Cuba in an attempt to locate Gerena, but they did not succeed. Mahoney published a story in 2001 titled "Chasing Gerena".
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1,000,000 for information leading to Gerena's capture.
See also
*
List of fugitives from justice who disappeared
This is a list of fugitives from justice, notable people who disappeared or evaded capture while being sought by law enforcement agencies in connection with a crime, and who are currently sought or were sought for the duration of their presume ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerena, Victor Manuel
1958 births
American emigrants to Cuba
American people of Puerto Rican descent
Boricua Popular Army members
Criminals from New York City
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
Fugitives wanted by the United States
Fugitives wanted on robbery charges
Living people
People from West Hartford, Connecticut
Security guards