file photo of Joanne Chesimard

Feb 26, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) today formally called upon President Obama to request the extradition of cop-killer Joanne Chesimard and terrorist William Morales during his upcoming visit to Cuba. These murderous fugitives have been living freely in Cuba and were granted protection by the Castro regime who has refused to extradite them. To date, the Obama Administration has not addressed the extradition of these convicted murderers as a condition of normalizing relations with Cuba and the Castro regime. Garrett was joined on the letter by Rep. Peter King (NY-02) and Rep. Leonard Lance (NJ-07).

“Over a year ago, your administration announced the reopening of diplomatic channels with Cuba,” said the Congressmen in the letter. “Since then, your administration has continued to take steps towards normalizing relations by relaxing trade restrictions, reopening embassies, and re-establishing scheduled air services. On February 18th your administration announced your trip this March to Cuba citing the significant progress made by normalizing relations. However, we fail to see any progress in extraditing the fugitives like Joanne Chesimard and William Morales, nor any improvement in the treatment of the Cuban people by their government.”

Murderers Living Freely in Cuba:

Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, was convicted of murder of a law enforcement officer, and sentenced to life in prison in 1977. In 1973, New Jersey State Troopers Werner Foerster and James Harper made a routine traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. When the troopers asked the vehicle’s driver to exit the car, one of the passengers, Joanne Chesimard, pulled out a gun and began shooting. During the ensuing firefight, Foerster was hit twice in the chest and Harper once in the shoulder. The injured Foerster was then shot twice in the head—execution style—with his own sidearm.

William Morales was sentenced to ninety-nine years in prison for his participation in the terrorist organization Fuerzas Armadas de Liberaciόn Nacional Puertorriqueña (FALN). William Morales was a chief bomb maker for FALN, and he was linked to the 1975 bombing of Fraunces Tavern in New York City, an attack that killed four people and injured sixty others

Garrett: President Should Not Visit Cuba Until Murderers are Returned to U.S.
Menendez : It is totally unacceptable for the president of the United States to reward a dictatorial regime
Feb 18, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statement after the Obama Administration announced the president will visit Cuba and meet with President Castro as early as next month:

“I’m disappointed that President Obama is willing to travel to Cuba knowing full well that the Castro regime mocks our laws and continues to harbor convicted New Jersey cop-killer Joanne Chesimard and terrorist William Morales. Despite repeated calls from me and my colleagues, the president has yet to mention the extradition of U.S. fugitives as a condition of building diplomatic relations. Cuba’s refusal to return the fugitives is insulting to everyone who has waited years to see these cold-blooded killers face justice, and the president must prioritize the extradition of U.S. fugitives in all future negotiations with the Cuban regime.”

Garrett has been a longtime critic of the Cuban regime and has repeatedly called on their government to extradite and terrorist William Morales so they can face justice for their crimes.

While NJ Senator Bob Menendez also criticized the Presidents visit :

“It is totally unacceptable for the president of the United States to reward a dictatorial regime with a historic visit when human rights abuses endure and democracy continues to be shunned,” Menendez, who is Cuban-American, said Thursday. Menendez spoke at the Union of Cuban Ex-Political Prisoners.

“Despite the lack of reciprocity from a despotic and reinvigorated Castro regime, the president is rewarding this oppressive regime with a visit,” Menendez said. “In the case of Cuba, we should at very least expect that Joanne Chesimard will step off Air Force One with U.S. marshals.”

Rep. Scott Garret Leads Formal Call on Obama to Address Extradition of cop-killer Joanne Chesimard and terrorist William Morales

New Jersey Representatives in Rare Agreement on Criticism of the Presidents Cuba Visit