The U.S. State Department will begin negotiations over the return of two fugitives with New Jersey ties living in Cuba, The Guardian and other outlets reported this week.

A State Department spokesman said Cuba agreed to open talks following President Obama's decision to remove the island nation from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism. The move also comes after months of lobbying by a bipartisan slate of New Jersey lawmakers who insisted on the fugitives' return as a condition of normalizing relations with Cuba that would end a half-century of sanctions. Obama announced late last year his intention to normalize relations with Cuba.

"We see the re-establishment of diplomatic relations and the reopening of an embassy in Havana as the means by which we'll be able, more effectively, to press the Cuban government on law enforcement issues such as fugitives. And Cuba has agreed to enter into a law-enforcement dialogue with the United States that will work to resolve these cases," the spokesman, Jeff Rathke, said.

One of the fugitives now enjoying sanctuary in Cuba, Joanne Chesimard, was convicted of the 1973 murder of a New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster. Chesimard fled to Cuba after escaping from prison more than 30 years ago and is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.



Another fugitive, Puerto Rican nationalist William Morales, is wanted for bombings in New York in the 1970s, including one at the historic Fraunces Tavern. A 33-year-old married father of two from Fair Lawn, Frank Conner, was killed in the blast.

Earlier this week Garden State lawmakers, led by Sen. Bob Menendez, said they would seek legislation rebuking Obama for normalizing relations with Cuba while Morales and Chesimard remained under Cuban protection.



Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

