While the FBI claims to have used cutting edge technology to create the image, a Spanish politician has noticed that the poster is a modified version of his campaign photo he now finds his face in Americas most wanted list.

While on the surface its an amusing misstep by intelligence agencies, Gaspar Llamazares, the former leader of Spains United Left coalition, calls the move shameless. His safety is at risk, he told the BBC, and he no longer feels able to travel to America now his likeness is on a wanted poster: Bin Ladens safety is not threatened by this but mine certainly is, Llamazares said.

The FBI is quoted admitting to the error, saying that the artist found the photo on the web and didnt know it was of a Spanish politician:

When producing age-progressed photographs, forensic artists typically select features from a database of stock reference photographs to create the new imageit appears that in this instance the forensic artist was unable to find suitable features among the reference photographs and obtained those features, in part, from a photograph he found on the internet.

The forensic artist was not aware of the identity of the individual depicted in the photograph. The similarities between the photos were unintentional and inadvertent.

We dont think it matters that the man in question was a notable politician: using photos from an image search to create a most wanted poster is surely putting the subject at risk, is it not?