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FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Caught in Mexico 73 Minutes After Listing, Returned to Washington

Public tips plus cross-border coordination following a $1 million reward drove the rapid arrest.

Overview

  • Samuel Ramirez Jr., 33, was apprehended without incident on March 10 at 11:13 a.m. PT in Culiacán, Sinaloa, only 73 minutes after he was named the 538th addition to the Ten Most Wanted list, the fastest capture in the program’s history.
  • He was deported to the United States and arrived back in Washington on Wednesday night to face King County charges tied to a May 21, 2023 shooting at Federal Way’s Stars Bar & Grill that left two dead and one injured.
  • State charges include first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder, issued by King County Superior Court on May 24, 2023, with a separate federal unlawful‑flight warrant added on Nov. 14, 2025.
  • The FBI raised its reward for information on March 10 to up to $1 million, making Ramirez the first newly added fugitive to receive the bureau’s new standard top reward amount.
  • Officials credited tips from the public and cooperation with Mexican authorities — including SSPC, SEDENA and INM, coordinated through the FBI Legal Attaché in Mexico City — and said an arraignment is expected about two weeks after booking.