Federal authorities have taken into custody a suspect accused of playing a leading role in the 2012 Benghazi attack, with U.S. officials saying he has been transferred to American soil to face prosecution.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. federal officials have arrested and transferred to American custody a man accused of helping lead the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, an assault that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. The arrest was announced Feb. 5, with senior Justice Department officials stating the suspect will now stand trial in the United States.
The suspect was identified as Zubayr Al-Bakoush, who faces charges including murder, terrorism-related offenses, and arson, according to reporting by Fox News. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Al-Bakoush was apprehended overseas and extradited to the United States to face prosecution.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
Images of the suspect following his capture were released publicly in a social media post.
The Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound and nearby CIA annex in Benghazi resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens, State Department information officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. The fatalities were confirmed again in coverage by NBC News.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro also announced the arrest. According to NBC News, an eight-count indictment accuses Al-Bakoush of crimes including the murders of Stevens and Smith. The indictment was first filed in 2015 during the Obama administration and remained sealed for more than a decade.
Video from the aftermath of the attack, showing fires, destroyed vehicles, and heavy damage to the compound, has circulated publicly, including footage available here.
Bondi also referenced then–Secretary of State Hillary Clinton while discussing the case, recalling Clinton’s comments during congressional testimony on Benghazi.
“Hillary Clinton once famously said about Benghazi, ‘What difference at this point does it make?’ Well, it makes a difference to Donald Trump,” Bondi said, according to remarks shared in a social media post.
FBI Director Kash Patel joined Bondi and Pirro in announcing the arrest. In a statement shared on social media, Patel said the FBI and its partners carried out a Foreign Transfer of Custody to bring Al-Bakoush to the United States.
“After more than a decade of American pursuit, Al-Bakoush landed in Virginia earlier this morning and is in custody,” Patel said in a post. He named the four Americans killed in the attack—Stevens, Smith, Woods, and Doherty—and called the arrest “a massive moment for the country.”
“We will have more to say at a later time,” Patel added, “but this is a clear message from President Trump’s administration that those who attack our service members will ultimately find American justice, no matter how long it takes.”
