S. 834, the Frank Connor and Trooper Werner Foerster Justice Act, calls on the State Department and Attorney General to pressure Cuba to extradite or return fugitives hiding there who have been convicted or charged with serious crimes in the United States. The bill specifically names Joanne Chesimard, a convicted murderer of a New Jersey state trooper who escaped prison in 1979, and William Morales, wanted for terrorist bombings including one that killed New Jersey resident Frank Connor. The legislation requires the Secretary of State to submit a report within 180 days and annually thereafter detailing efforts to secure these fugitives' return and assessing whether Cuba is fulfilling its existing extradition treaty obligations. Additionally, the bill blocks U.S. international narcotics control and law enforcement funding from being used in Cuba unless the Cuban government actively cooperates with extradition obligations and meets other legal conditions for normalizing economic relations. The reporting requirement ends once Cuba demonstrates it is actively returning fugitives for two consecutive years.
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