The United States has arrested Zubayr Al-Bakoush, an alleged ringleader in the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, bringing a long-running national security case back into the spotlight.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the arrest Friday, saying Al-Bakoush is now in U.S. custody and facing federal charges tied to the deadly assault. Bondi said the suspect is charged with murder, terror and arson stemming from the Benghazi attack.
“Zubayr Al-Bakoush will now face American justice on American soil. We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law,” Bondi said. “Let this case serve as a reminder: If you commit a crime against the American people anywhere in this world, President Trump’s Justice Department will find you. It might not happen overnight, but it will happen. You can run, but you cannot hide.”
Al-Bakoush was apprehended overseas and transported to Virginia, officials confirmed. Patel declined to disclose where the arrest took place, citing operational sensitivities.
“I’m extremely thankful to the CIA and Director Ratcliffe and our other law enforcement partners for making sure that the world knows that if you kill an American citizen in an act of terrorism, we will hunt you down,” Patel said.
Patel credited President Donald Trump for empowering law enforcement agencies to pursue terrorists beyond U.S. borders, saying the administration has given investigators “the resources we need to take the fight across the world.” He also pointed to recent successes involving suspects from the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.
Pirro, who will lead the prosecution, said Al-Bakoush was initially charged by criminal complaint in 2015, which remained sealed for more than a decade. She said a newly unsealed eight-count indictment accuses Al-Bakoush of murdering U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, State Department employee Sean Smith and CIA contractors Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods. The indictment also includes an attempted murder charge involving State Department Special Agent Scott Wickland.
“The Benghazi saga was a painful one for Americans. It has stayed with all of us,” Pirro said. “And let me be very clear, there are more of them out there. Time will not stop us from going after these predators, no matter how long it takes, in order to fulfill our obligation to those families who suffered horrific pain at the hands of these violent terrorists.”
The Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi left four Americans dead. Armed attackers stormed the compound using rifles, grenades and incendiary devices, setting fires and overrunning buildings during the assault.
Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods were killed in the attack, which remains one of the deadliest strikes on U.S. diplomatic facilities in recent history.
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