The United States has apprehended Zubayr Al‑Bakoush, a suspect accused of being a central figure in the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, officials said.
Al‑Bakoush was extradited to the United States and is expected to face an eight‑count federal indictment including murder, terrorism, arson and conspiracy charges.
“This defendant will now face American justice on American soil,” Bondi said, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who is expected to lead the prosecution.
Bondi and prosecutors alleged Al‑Bakoush played a “key participant” role in the coordinated attacks on the U.S. consulate and an adjacent facility in Benghazi on September 11–12, 2012, which resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, State Department information officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.
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According to the Justice Department, a sealed indictment dating back to 2015 was unsealed this week, laying out charges that include murder of a federal official, attempted murder of a federal agent, and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.
Al‑Bakoush is the third figure linked to the Benghazi attacks to be prosecuted in U.S. courts. Two others Ahmed Abu Khattala and Mustafa al‑Imam were previously captured, tried, and are serving sentences, while a fourth suspect, Ali Awni al‑Harzi, was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2015.
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According to multiple report, the assaults began with militants breaching the consulate compound in Benghazi with small arms and grenades, setting fires that killed Stevens and Smith and forcing remaining personnel to seek shelter at a nearby CIA annex. A subsequent mortar attack on that annex claimed the lives of Woods and Doherty and wounded others.
The Benghazi tragedy became a contentious political issue in the United States, prompting numerous congressional investigations into security preparedness and response. While some lawmakers faulted the Obama administration and then–Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for security lapses, a 2016 bipartisan review found no evidence of intentional misconduct.
With Al‑Bakoush now in U.S. custody, prosecutors are expected to move swiftly toward arraignment and pretrial proceedings in federal court.