The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff

Reporter

sbrown@

tribunemedia.net

UNITED States authorities are searching for an alleged “violent criminal” they believe is hiding in New Providence.

Detective Jimmy Mckee of the Coral Gables Police Department said they received information that Raonel Valdez Valhuerdis was hiding somewhere in New Providence or on a neighbouring island after he jumped bail in March.

Valhuerdis, 34, disappeared after he was charged with planning a $2.8 million armed gold robbery in Coral Gables – also missing is the gold he is accused of stealing.

According to international reports, Valhuerdis and two other men began casing George Villegas, a courier for the Bolivian-based export company, Quri Wasi.

The company buys gold from small businesses and then melts it down and sells it to South Florida refineries.

When contacted by The Tribune, private investigator David Bolton, who was hired by the company to find the gold, said Valhuerdis is extremely dangerous as he was wearing an ankle bracelet at the time of his escape for allegedly attacking his former girlfriend,

“The people who hired me are offering a $25,000 reward for his arrest and capture and they would be glad to pay it once he has been found. He is dangerous to the public and has a history of violence,” he said.

Valhuerdis was first arrested in June 2007 for marijuana possession. A year later he was arrested in Hialeah after police found a baggie of 85 grams of methamphetamine attached to the lid of his car’s fuel tank. That case was later dropped.

In July 2008, he was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He skipped out on his bond and left the country.

In October 2012, he was one of several suspected armed Cuban migrant smugglers arrested in Cancun. Miami Dade police arrested him at the Miami International Airport in July 2011.

He was later convicted for the assault charge, but only spent 74 days in jail.

Valhuerdis was arrested again in May 2012 for armed robbery. Police say he held a knife to his ex-girlfriend’s throat and robbed her.

He was outfitted with an ankle monitor that placed him at the scene of the $2.8 million gold robbery.

He was granted $75,000 bond and was equipped with a second GPS ankle monitor. A day later he vanished.

Mr Bolton said investigations have led him and the police to believe that Valhuerdis is in the Bahamas.

He said he sent an e-mail to Superintendent Elaine Sands, who has responsibility for the Eastern District. She said she forwarded the information to Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson.

Calls to Mr Ferguson were not returned up to press time.