Who is Zubayar al-Bakoush? Alleged Benghazi attacker arrested, brought to US

One of the major suspects of the 2012 Benghazi attack, one of the most notorious terrorist incidents targeting U.S. soldiers overseas, has been apprehended and transported to the United States to stand trial, the authorities announced Friday.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of Zubayar al-Bakoush, who is alleged to have taken part in the attack that resulted in the death of U.S. ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans including Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty on September 11, 2012.

“You can run, but you cannot hide,” Bondi said during the news conference with the FBI Director Kash Patel and the U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

One of the members of the militant formation Ansar al-Sharia in al-Bakoush was arrested abroad and sent to the custody of the U.S. in the night. 

Federal indictment against him is unsealed with a charge of seven counts including murder, attempted murder, material support of terrorists and arson.

Prosecutors claim that al-Bakoush was one of some 20 militants who broke into the U.S. diplomatic mission’s gate, fired the compound that killed Stevens and Smith, and that he was also involved in the surveillance on the compound.

A later mortar strike at an adjacent CIA outpost killed Woods and Doherty.

“Time will not stop us from going after these predators,” said Pirro noting that more individuals who committed these acts are still on the loose.

Another pair of attackers have been convicted and sentenced to U.S. courts previously. Al-Bakoush is subsequently scheduled to appear before the court in Washington, D.C. later on Friday.