Breaking: FBI Arrests 'One of the Key Participants Behind the Benghazi Attack'

The Justice Department announced Friday that the FBI has successfully arrested Zubayr Al-Bakoush, identified as a ringleader in the deadly 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya—an assault that claimed the life of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

The arrest was formally revealed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, marking a major counterterrorism victory under President Donald J. Trump’s second-term Justice Department.

Bondi confirmed that Al-Bakoush was taken into custody after more than a decade on the run, calling him “one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack.”

“You can run, but you cannot hide,” Bondi said. “We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law.”

Bondi emphasized that justice for the fallen Americans has remained a priority despite years of delay and political inertia following the Obama-era attack.

“We have never forgotten those heroes, and we have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation,” Bondi also said, according to CNN. “If you commit a crime against the American people anywhere in this world, President Trump’s Justice Department will find you.”

Authorities confirmed that Al-Bakoush arrived in the United States early Friday morning, where he now faces charges of murder, terrorism, and arson. Pirro stated that Al-Bakoush had been charged 11 years ago, but the case remained sealed until federal agents were able to apprehend him.

Pirro’s office will lead the prosecution.

FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted the broader success of the bureau’s renewed focus on accountability and law enforcement under the Trump administration, noting that six individuals from the FBI’s Most Wanted list have been captured in a single calendar year.

By contrast, Patel noted that only four such fugitives were apprehended during former President Joe Biden’s entire term.

The arrest marks a long-awaited step toward accountability for one of the most infamous terrorist attacks on U.S. personnel abroad—and a signal that, under President Trump, justice delayed is no longer justice denied.