The FBI captured and extradited a key Benghazi attack suspect to the U.S., where he now faces terrorism and murder charges.
has captured and extradited Zubayr al Bakoush, one of the key participants behind the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in said al Bakoush arrived at Joint Base Andrews around 3 a.m.
and is now in U.S. custody, marking a major development more than 14 years after the deadly assault that killed four U.S. citizens. Al BakoushNewsom tells Louisiana attorney general 'Go f*** yourself' over abortion pill prescription lawsuit and senior officials. “If you commit a crime against the American people anywhere in this world, President Trump’s Justice Department will find you. You can run, but you cannot hide.” Al Bakoush is accused of participating in the coordinated terrorist attack on the U.S. compound and nearby CIA annex starting the night of Sept. 11, 2012, which left Ambassador Chris Stevens, State Department information officer Sean Smith, and CIA security contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty dead. According to officials, al Bakoush was captured overseas and transferred to U.S. custody following a joint operation involving the FBI and multiple intelligence and diplomatic partners. Authorities declined to provide details on the location or timing of the arrest, citing the integrity of the prosecution. Patel credited FBI agents and interagency partners for sustaining the yearslong effort to track down the suspect. “The FBI never forgot Benghazi,” Patel said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we were given the resources to go to the four corners of the earth and bring this terrorist to justice.”, the U.S. attorney overseeing the matter, who said an eight-count indictment against al Bakoush has now been unsealed. Pirro said the defendant was first charged by sealed complaint in 2015, with prosecutors deliberately keeping the case under wraps as investigators worked to locate and apprehend him. Al Bakoush faces eight charges including the murder of a U.S. ambassador, the murder of a federal employee, the attempted murder of a federal agent, terrorism offenses, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death, and arson related to the destruction of the U.S. Special Mission compound. “For 13 hours, Americans waited for help that never came,” Pirro said, referencing the night of the attack. “Today, American justice has arrived.” Pirro said she notified family members of the victims after the suspect was taken into custody, calling the arrest an emotional moment for relatives who had long feared accountability would never come. Officials also read a statement from CIA Director John Ratcliffe praising the arrest and honoring Woods and Doherty for their actions during the attack. During his initial appearance, he appeared in the federal courthouse I in Washington, D.C. before Magistrate Judge Moxila. Eye-witness reports from NBC News said the newly captured defendant was wearing a gray sweatsuit and confined to a wheelchair, sitting with his head down and eyes barely open as the judge recited the eight charges against him. “I have complete trust in the court and the jury,” al-Bakoush said via an interpreter while he was being sworn in. “They will not be unjust.” The Benghazi assault became one of the most politically and emotionally charged national security episodes of former President Barack Obama’s time in office and remained unresolved for years as several suspects evaded capture. Al Bakoush is one of three co-conspirators that the U.S. has apprehended so far in the years since the attack. Ahmed Abu Khattala, a Libyan militia commander, was captured by U.S. special forces in 2014 and extradited to the U.S. where he was later convicted on terrorism-related charges and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. Mustafa al Imam, another Benghazi suspect, was captured in 2017 and convicted on criminal counts related to his role and sentenced to 19 years in prison.Standing before the podium earlier on Friday, top DOJ leaders emphasized that the arrest does not close the book on the case.
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