WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 06: U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi (C), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel (L) and U.S. Attorney for Washington, DC Jeanine Pirro make a press announcement at the Department of Justice on February 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bondi announced the FBI has captured and extradited Zubayr al-Bakoush, a suspect in the 2012 attack on the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya.
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The U.S. has arrested a person suspected of playing a central role in the 2012 attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday.
Bondi said Zubayar al-Bakoush has been extradited to the United States and will face murder, arson and terrorism-related charges.
Four U.S. personnel were killed in the September 11, 2012, incident, which was initially thought to be a spontaneous reaction to protests but was later identified as a deliberate attack carried out by extremists, some of whom were linked to groups affiliated with al Qaeda.
A vehicle and the surrounding area are engulfed in flames after it was set on fire inside the US consulate compound in Benghazi late on September 11, 2012. An armed mob protesting over a film they said offended Islam, attacked the US consulate in Benghazi and set fire to the building, killing one American, witnesses and officials said.
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Al-Bakoush is the third person to face criminal charges stemming from the attack. Two others, Ahmed Abu Khatallah and Mustafa al-Imam, are serving lengthy prison terms, while another suspect, Ali Awni al-Harzi, was killed in an airstrike in Iraq in 2015.
Bakoush faces an eight-count indictment that includes charges of murder, attempted murder, arson and conspiracy to support terrorists, said Jeanine Pirro, the top U.S. prosecutor in the District of Columbia.
The attack became a symbol of the chaos in Benghazi and Libya as a whole, highlighting the instability and the presence of terrorism in the region. It led to a series of investigations in the United States, in which congressional Republicans clashed with then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ahead of her 2016 presidential run as a Democrat.