Suspect in 2012 Benghazi attack arrested and brought to the U.S.
Washington — The FBI has arrested one of the "key participants" behind the terrorist attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 that led to the deaths of four Americans, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday.
"Today, I'm proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack," Bondi said. The suspect, named Zubayar al-Bakoush, was transferred to the U.S. overnight, Bondi said.
The attorney general said Al-Bakoush will face charges of terrorism, arson and murder, among others, later on Friday. Bondi made the announcement of his capture alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
"You can run, but you cannot hide," Bondi said.
The State Department and CIA worked with the FBI to make the arrest possible, Bondi said. Patel and Bondi declined to give many details about how the suspect was tracked down, except to say he was picked up "overseas." Pirro said there are more people out there responsible for the killings that day in 2012, and the federal government won't stop hunting for them.
"Let me be very clear — there are more of them out there," Pirro said. "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."
U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three others — Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty — were killed in the attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound and nearby CIA outpost by militants with the group Ansar al-Sharia. Pirro said she informed the surviving family members ahead of time that the U.S. was capturing Al-Bakoush.
Two others have been prosecuted in the U.S. for their roles in the attack. In 2014, U.S. Special Forces captured Libyan national Ahmed Abu Khatallah, a leader of the attack. He was acquitted of murder charges in 2017 but convicted on others and initially sentenced to 22 years in prison. He was resentenced to 28 years behind bars in 2024, with a federal judge determining his initial sentence was too light.
In 2017, another Libyan, Mustafa al-Imam, was captured in a U.S. operation and brought to face charges. He was found guilty at trial in 2019 and sentenced to 19 years in prison.
