The United States Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on Friday (February 6th) that a suspect believed to be involved in the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya has been arrested and extradited back to the United States.
Bondi announced that Zubayr al-Bakoush was escorted to Andrews Air Force Base in the early hours of Friday.
In a joint press conference held on Friday, Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and U.S. prosecutor Jeannine Pirro announced the arrest. Bondi mentioned that al-Bakoush is charged with murder, terrorism, and arson, all related to the 2012 attack.
According to U.S. prosecutors, the suspect is accused of murdering U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others.
“Now Zubayr al-Bakoush will face the U.S. justice system on American soil. We will prosecute this terrorist suspect to the full extent of the law,” Bondi stated during the press conference on Friday. “This case should serve as a warning: if you commit crimes against the American people anywhere in the world, the Department of Justice led by President Trump will find you. It may not be overnight, but we will find you. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Patel mentioned that al-Bakoush was apprehended “overseas” but did not disclose the specific location.
“I am very grateful to the CIA, Director Ratcliffe, and our other law enforcement partners for ensuring that everyone knows if you kill American citizens through terrorism, we will hunt you down,” Patel said during the press conference.
U.S. prosecutor Jeannine Pirro stated in the press conference, “Al-Bakoush was first charged in 2015, and the indictment was sealed for 11 years. Now, a formal indictment containing eight charges has been unsealed, accusing him of murdering U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, killing State Department employee Sean Smith, attempting to murder State Department agent Scott Wicklund, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, resulting in the deaths of four Americans. Additionally, he is charged with arson at the consulate.”
“We have never forgotten these heroes, nor have we stopped seeking justice for this crime against our nation,” Bondi said. She added that the suspect will face multiple charges including murder, attempted murder, terrorism, and arson.
On the evening of September 11, 2012, the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya was attacked by radical Islamic terrorists, resulting in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Stevens and State Department information management officer Smith. Stevens was the first U.S. ambassador to die in office since 1979.
Within hours of the incident, a nearby U.S. facility about a mile away from the consulate was also attacked, leading to the deaths of CIA contractors Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty, and injuries to over ten others. Following the events, many Libyans publicly condemned the terrorist attacks by Islamic militants and expressed condolences for the deceased American ambassador.
After the incident, the United States immediately strengthened security at its diplomatic facilities and military bases worldwide and launched an investigation into the attack. During the aftermath, State Department officials were criticized for rejecting proposals to enhance security at overseas consulates before the attack. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton later expressed willingness to take responsibility for security lapses.
In 2017, the United States captured one of the suspects in the attack, Mustafa al-Imam, and brought him back to the U.S. for trial. He was later convicted on two criminal charges and sentenced to 19 years in prison.