Under the Global Criminal Justice Rewards Program, the State Department offers rewards of up to $5 million to individuals who provide information that leads to the arrest, transfer, or conviction of designated foreign nationals accused of crimes against humanity, genocide, or war crimes.
The Global Criminal Justice Rewards Program has been remarkably successful over its lifespan, said Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack in a recent interview.
“We have spent about $8 million in rewards and have assisted in 25 cases before international tribunals.”
The program is open to almost anyone who has information about these wanted individuals, explained Ambassador Van Schaack:
“The only restrictions are that someone who is in a law enforcement capacity, or otherwise working in a formal governmental capacity is not eligible to receive a reward. But private persons, even family or friends or acquaintances of the fugitive, they are all eligible for a reward.”
The safety and confidentiality of tipsters is of utmost importance to the United States, said Ambassador Van Schaack:
“First and foremost, we do not ever reveal their identity publicly at all. Only the person themselves and our program officers will be aware of the identity of the individual providing the information. And then one of the factors we consider in the reward is the amount of money that would be necessary to ensure that the tipster and their family members, if necessary, are safe.”
All tips received about fugitives will be evaluated and potentially used to make an arrest, said Ambassador Van Schaack:
“If eventually that information ends up helping to identify, find an individual, capture that individual or convict that individual, then we will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State to pay a reward for that information to that person.”
If someone has information about a fugitive, please reach out to the Global Criminal Justice Rewards Program via text message, SMS, or WhatsApp at +1-202-975-5468 or via email at GCJRP@state.gov. You can also bring information to the nearest U.S. Embassy or any U.S. Government official.
The tip does not have to be big. If you know something, no matter how small, please contact the Global Criminal Justice Rewards Program.
