Albanian fugitive wanted over ‘blood feud’ murders arrested in New York after 25 years
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An Albanian national wanted for several homicides and named in an INTERPOL alert was located and arrested on Thursday by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Valentin Ftoni is wanted in Albania to serve a 25-year sentence connected to the 2000 murders of a husband and wife.
Officials in Albania described the murders as being related to a “blood feud.”
Albanian authorities also seek Ftoni for one further murder and name him as the main suspect in a fourth. He had evaded law enforcement for more than 25 years.
In August, the USMS launched a search to trace Ftoni in the United States based on details provided by INTERPOL Tirana.
Multiple U.S. and Albanian agencies established that Ftoni had lived unlawfully in the country under several false names since the early 2000s, primarily in the New York metropolitan region. It’s believed his assumed identity was from a Central American nation.
The USMS subsequently sent an investigative lead to a representative assigned to the Homeland Security Task Force in New York, where agents promptly began efforts to trace Ftoni. Through joint efforts, law enforcement officers located him and arrested him.
INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Daniel Vizzi praised the collaborative work. “This case demonstrates exactly why international law enforcement information sharing matters,” he said.
“Information provided by our partners in Albania was rapidly operationalized in the United States and placed in the hands of investigators who could act on it. More than 25 years after this fugitive fled, cooperation between INTERPOL Washington, INTERPOL Tirana, and our law enforcement partners resulted in his capture.”
“This arrest is a testament to the persistence and professionalism of our investigators and law enforcement partners,” said Ricky J. Patel, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York.
“When our team received information that a fugitive wanted for multiple murders may have been living in the New York area under assumed identities, our investigators acted quickly to locate and apprehend him. No matter how much time has passed or how far a fugitive travels, we remain committed to ensuring they are held accountable.”
Ftoni was placed in federal custody following his arrest. He will remain detained pending future immigration proceedings.
