Washington — The FBI arrested a suspect who allegedly participated in the terrorist attack on a U.S. facility 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. “You can run, but you cannot hide.”
The suspect, named Zubayar al-Bakoush, was transferred to the U.S. overnight, Bondi said. The attorney general announced his capture alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington.
U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris 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 on Sept. 11, 2012. Pirro said she informed the surviving family members of al-Bakoush’s capture ahead of time.
Following the announcement, prosecutors unsealed a 13-page indictment in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., charging al-Bakoush with seven counts, including murder, attempted murder, providing material support to terrorists and arson. He is expected to appear in court later Friday.
The indictment alleges that al-Bakoush lived in Benghazi and was a member of Ansar al-Sharia. Prosecutors said al-Bakoush was part of the group of armed militants who attacked the U.S. mission in Benghazi where Stevens and his security team were located.
The indictment said a group of about 20 militants breached the main gate and set fire to the buildings, killing Stevens and Smith. Prosecutors alleged al-Bakoush entered the gate after the fires were set and “conducted surveillance activity” before trying to gain access to vehicles on the grounds of the compound.
A subsequent mortar attack on a CIA annex about a mile away from the U.S. mission killed Woods and Doherty, who were CIA contractors.
The State Department and CIA worked with the FBI to arrest al-Bakoush, Bondi said Friday. The officials declined to give many details about how he 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.”
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 purported 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.
Jacob Rosen
contributed to this report.
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