A US fugitive was apprehended in Mexico just over an hour after being added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, making the list’s fastest arrest time in history and shattering a record set over 55 years ago.
Samuel Ramirez Jr., 33, was wanted for allegedly committing the murders of two women on May 21, 2023, at a bar in Federal Way, Washington, according to a Justice Department news release. A third person was injured in the event. Federal Way Police Chief Andy Hwang identified the victims as Jessyca Hohn and Katie Duhnke.
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An arrest warrant was issued charging Ramirez with the crimes, but he was thought to have fled the country following the killings. In November 2025, he was charged with unauthorized flight to evade prosecution, and a federal arrest warrant was issued, according to the Justice Department. On December 10, 2025, the FBI offered a $25,000 reward for his arrest and conviction.
On Tuesday, the FBI boosted the maximum award amount to $1 million. That same day, he was added to the list of the top ten most wanted fugitives.
Ramirez was apprehended without incident in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, after only an hour and 13 minutes. His arrest was ascribed to the FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Mexico City, the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington, and Mexican officials.
The previous record for the shortest arrest period was set in 1969, when a guy was arrested just two hours after being put on the list.
Ramirez was deported from Mexico to the United States and returned to Washington Wednesday night, according to the Justice Department. He will be booked into jail in King County, Washington. The Justice Department stated that he would next appear in court for his arraignment in approximately two weeks.
In a statement, Mexico’s government revealed the specifics of Ramirez’s detention and reiterated its “commitment to work in a coordinated manner with international authorities to detain individuals wanted in other countries.”
Ramirez’s arrest comes only weeks after former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who was also on the FBI’s most wanted list, was apprehended in Mexico. Wedding, who had been on the run for more than a year, pleaded not guilty in January to 17 felony charges, saying he ran a Mexican drug gang.
