U.S. Arrests Key Suspect in 2012 Benghazi Attack, DOJ Announces
Zubayr al-Bakoush, 58, arrived at Joint Base Andrews at 3 a.m. ET on Feb. 6 and faces charges including murder and arson, prosecutors said.
Overview
Zubayr al-Bakoush, 58, landed at Joint Base Andrews at 3 a.m. ET on Feb. 6 and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya on charges of murder, attempted murder, providing material support to terrorists and arson, prosecutors said.
The appearance comes more than 13 years after the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, State Department employee Sean Smith and CIA contractors Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest and said the State Department and CIA assisted in the operation, while officials declined to disclose where al-Bakoush was apprehended overseas.
Prosecutors unsealed an eight-count indictment charging al-Bakoush with murder, attempted murder, providing material support to terrorists and arson, and the government asked the court to keep him in federal custody, court records show.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya set a Feb. 11, 2026 detention hearing and FBI Director Kash Patel said more suspects remain at large, with officials saying the investigation is ongoing.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this as a law-enforcement victory and closure narrative by foregrounding official statements and legal action while inserting partisan context. They highlight forceful quotes ("You can run…", "there are more of them out there"), emphasize DOJ/FBI involvement, and organize background political history to cast the arrest as both criminal and politically consequential.
Sources (9)
FAQ
Zubayr al-Bakoush faces an eight-count indictment including murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens and Sean Smith, attempted murder of State Department Special Agent Scott Wicklund, providing material support to terrorists, and arson.
Al-Bakoush, an alleged member of the Ansar Al Sharia extremist militia, joined an armed mob that breached the U.S. compound's gates, conducted surveillance, attempted to gain entry to staff vehicles, and participated in setting buildings on fire during the attack.
Al-Bakoush arrived at Joint Base Andrews at 3 a.m. ET on February 6, 2026, after being transferred into U.S. custody by foreign officials; flight records indicate an FBI jet departed from Misrata, Libya.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the arrest; Patel stated more suspects remain at large and the investigation is ongoing.
Al-Bakoush appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya on February 6, 2026; a detention hearing is set for February 11, 2026, and prosecutors seek pretrial detention.
History
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