NJ State Police Warn Travelers To Cuba To Be On Lookout For Cop Killer
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The head of the New Jersey State Police is warning potential tourists to Cuba to be on the lookout for terrorists there, including a woman who was convicted in the 1973 killing of a trooper.
Col. Rick Fuentes posted a message to Facebook on Thursday ahead of President Barack Obama's planned trip to Cuba.
It's the latest effort in Fuentes' push for the return of Joanne Chesimard, who was convicted in the killing of Trooper Werner Foerster.
Chesimard, who was described by the FBI as a member of the Black Liberation Army, was convicted of killing Foerster in 1977 and sentenced to life in prison. She escaped from prison in 1979 and made her way to Cuba, where she was granted asylum by Fidel Castro.
Chesimard and three other fugitives in Cuba are responsible for the deaths of 17 police officers, five American civilians, two servicemen and 159 bombings, Fuentes said.
"Our relationship with Cuba is changing and as a matter of public safety I believe that all those considering travel to Cuba need to be aware that four dangerous fugitive terrorists are living free and protected on the island," Fuentes said.
Chesimard currently lives under the name Assata Shakur, and was added to the the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List in 2013.
She is New Jersey's most wanted fugitive. There's a $2 million bounty for information leading to her capture.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie last year proposed blocking flights out of Newark Liberty International Airport to Cuba until Chesimard is returned to the United States to face trial. The proposal has been debated by experts on how it would affect the state's economy.
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