The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reported the capture of six wanted fraud suspects across four continents and the seizure of nearly $17 billion in a separate international operation targeting scam networks.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the developments in separate posts on his official X account on Sunday, highlighting the bureau’s efforts to track down fugitives accused of financial crimes and dismantle criminal organisations operating scam centres.
According to Patel, the six fugitives had collectively spent more than 4,000 days evading arrest, while fraud cases associated with the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list involved more than $2 billion.
He said the suspects had believed that leaving the United States and hiding in other countries would protect them from prosecution by American authorities.
“They were wrong,” Patel wrote, adding that the FBI and its international partners would continue pursuing people accused of defrauding Americans, regardless of where they were hiding.
The six individuals identified in the information provided by Patel are Manjit Singh Bedi, Elaine Agene Esco, Khalid Ahmed Satary, Herbert Leon Kimble, Sahid Abdullahi Ereg and Emylee Thai.
In a separate update, Patel highlighted the reported results of Operation Blackout, an initiative targeting international scam centres and the criminal networks behind them. He said the campaign had led to the seizure of nearly $17 billion, the arrest of hundreds of suspected scammers and the rescue of thousands of trafficked workers.
The FBI director also said more than 10,000 Americans had received warnings before losing their money, helping to prevent an estimated $670 million in potential financial losses.
“We’re not just investigating these criminal enterprises.
“We’re dismantling their networks, disrupting their finances, rescuing victims, and holding those responsible accountable,” he said.
Patel described the scam centres as organised criminal operations that exploit victims and use international fraud schemes to target people, including residents of the United States.
He said the FBI would continue collaborating with law enforcement agencies in other countries to disrupt the networks, recover proceeds of crime and pursue those responsible.
“To every criminal organization targeting Americans: Justice will find you,” he added.
The wider crackdown has included raids on suspected scam facilities, efforts to disrupt online infrastructure used to carry out fraud and investigations into the trafficking of people allegedly forced to work for criminal groups.
The operations reflect the international nature of online fraud, in which criminal networks can target victims in one country while operating from another. Cooperation between law enforcement agencies is therefore important for locating suspects, tracing financial transactions and identifying victims.
However, the figures and operational achievements cited in Patel’s posts remain attributed to the FBI director. The reported seizure of nearly $17 billion relates to Operation Blackout and should not be confused with the more than $2 billion in fraud cases associated with the bureau’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list.
