Convicted murderer Joanne Chesimard, aka Assata Shakur, escaped to Cuba in the late 70s and was granted political asylum by Fidel Castro. Now that President Obama is seeking a reboot of U.S.-Cuba relations, New Jersey lawmakers want her extradited.
"Joanne Chesimard’s long overdue return to U.S. law enforcement should have been a no-brainer for the president to execute during his negotiations with Cuban leaders," state Sen. Joe Pennacchio, R-Morris,
said in a statement given to NJ.com.
"She is on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist List and has been shielded from justice by adversaries, so we urge our President to demand this justice for New Jerseyans and America as he works to restore ties with Cuba."
Chesimard, a member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, was convicted of first-degree murder after a 1973 New Jersey Turnpike shootout that killed Trooper Werner Foerster. Sentenced to life in prison, she escaped to Cuba in 1979 with the help of three BLA members, and assumed a new life with the blessing and protection of dictator Fidel Castro.
The FBI has long offered a $2 million reward for information leading to Chesimard's return, and upgraded her to its Most Wanted Terrorist List in 2013.
After reaching out to federal government officials about Chesimard, New Jersey representatives received a response from Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council.
"We will continue to press for the return of U.S. fugitives in Cuba to pursue justice for the victims of their crimes in our engagement with the Cuban government," she said in a blanket statement.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.