Four fraud suspects, four continents, a little over 24 hours. That is how FBI Director Kash Patel summed up the bureau’s week in his weekly update to the agency, in which he said the FBI carried out “FOUR different Foreign Transfers” of custody.
The headline case was Herbert Leon Kimbel, the bureau’s “latest Most Wanted Fraudster.” Patel said Kimbel was arrested in the Philippines and is back in the United States after being on the run since 2024. He is accused of orchestrating a $1.2 billion healthcare fraud scheme. “Now he’ll face justice, thanks to this FBI and our partners,” Patel said.
It was the second Most Wanted Fraudster caught “in just over two weeks,” by Patel’s count.
Philippines, Turkey, Nigeria, Spain
The transfers came out of the Philippines, Turkey, Nigeria and Spain. One of the people returned was a fugitive from Turkey who faced charges tied to a $3.7 billion Medicare fraud scheme, Patel said. Another, Abdellah Belmili, was transferred from Spanish custody. Florida’s Voice reported that Belmili is accused of creating and running online marketplaces that trafficked stolen access device data between 2020 and 2023.
The outlet said the operations took place on Thursday and Friday and targeted people accused of healthcare fraud, cyber-enabled bank fraud and advance-fee scams.
Patel credited the FBI’s Miami, Buffalo, Columbia and Houston divisions and other partners. He called it “outstanding work across the board.”
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- National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 455 Defendants …
- Kash Patel Highlights FBI's Four 'Foreign Transfers of Custody' o…
