Avelino González-Claudio (October 8, 1942 – July 9, 2019) was a Puerto Rican independence activist who served time in a U.S. federal prison for his participation in an armored truck robbery planned by Los Macheteros.^[1] Although the robbery took place in 1983, González-Claudio was not apprehended until 25 years later, in 2008. After pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, González-Claudio was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2010. He was released three years later, in 2013.

On September 12, 1983, a Wells Fargo armored truck in Hartford, Connecticut, was robbed of more than $7 million.^[2] The robbery, code-named "White Eagle", was "the largest cash heist in U.S. history" at the time of its commission.^[3][4]

In 1985, González-Claudio was accused in absentia of having planned the robbery as a member of Los Macheteros.^[5] González-Claudio was apprehended in 2008, after more than 20 years as a fugitive and during which time he had adopted an alias that allowed him to work as a teacher in Puerto Rico.^[4] He pleaded guilty to conspiracy for robbery and, in 2010, was sentenced to seven years in prison.^[6][7] Prosecutors argued for the necessity of a substantial sentence in spite of González-Claudio's age and Parkinson's disease, fearing that he could still be influential in the Los Macheteros organization, as authorities had found in February 2008 "documents in Gonzalez-Claudio's home that they say showed he was still involved with the group."^[8] Gonzalez-Claudio was released from prison on 5 February 2013.^[9] During his time as a fugitive he communicated with his wife via correspondence.^[10]

In May 2011, his brother Norberto González-Claudio was arrested for his participation in the robbery.^[11] Norberto was released on January 15, 2015.^[12]

Avelino Gonzalez-Claudio died on July 9, 2019.^[13]

• Oscar López Rivera
• Carlos Alberto Torres
• Juan Enrique Segarra-Palmer
• Edwin Cortes
• Pedro Albizu Campos
• Oscar Collazo
• Lolita Lebrón
• Puerto Rican independence movement