OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:03 PM – Friday, February 6, 2026
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that a third key participant in the 2012 terrorist attack on American facilities in Benghazi, Libya, has been arrested and brought into U.S. custody to face federal charges.
U.S. officials have provided limited details on the exact circumstances of 58-year-old Zubayr Al-Bakoush’s capture, citing operational security and the ongoing nature of related investigations.
Al-Bakoush was reportedly apprehended overseas as part of a long-running FBI effort involving international partners. Officials described the process as a “foreign transfer of custody,” meaning he was handed over to U.S. authorities by foreign officials, rather than captured directly in a U.S.-led raid — unlike the 2014 capture of Ahmed Abu Khattala by U.S. special forces in Libya.
Flight tracking data and multiple reports point to Libya as the origin of his extradition.
An FBI-affiliated aircraft departed from Misrata, Libya, on Thursday night and arrived at a small airport in northern Virginia at around 3 a.m. ET on Friday, before Al-Bakoush was transported to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement during a press conference at the DOJ, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia (D.C.) Jeanine Pirro.
“We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation,” Bondi stated. “Today, I am proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack. Zubayr Al-Bakoush is now in our custody.”
An eight-count indictment, unsealed following his arrival to the U.S., charged Al-Bakoush with multiple serious offenses, in addition to other terrorism-related counts, including:
- The murder of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens
- The murder of State Department information management officer Sean Smith
- The attempted murder of other U.S. personnel
- Conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization
The charges stem from the September 11-12, 2012, attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound and nearby CIA annex in Benghazi, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans: Ambassador Stevens, Smith, and CIA contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.
The assault, carried out by Islamist militants associated with groups like Ansar al-Sharia, involved armed attackers storming the facilities, setting fires, and engaging in gunfire.
Al-Bakoush is identified as a member of an extremist militia in Libya and had been sought by U.S. authorities for over a decade. This marks the third individual brought to the United States for prosecution in connection with the Benghazi attacks.
Ahmed Abu Khattala, a primary organizer of the Benghazi attack, was captured by U.S. special forces in 2014 and convicted in 2017 on terrorism and conspiracy charges. Although he was acquitted on some murder counts, he is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence following a 2024 resentencing. Mustafa al-Imam was arrested in 2017 and was later convicted for his role in the assault as well, receiving a 19.5-year sentence.
The Benghazi incident has remained politically charged since 2012, prompting multiple congressional investigations and sustained debate. Criticism has focused on security failures at the compound, the adequacy of the immediate response to the attack, and early public explanations from U.S. officials — including then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
During the Friday announcement, Bondi referenced Clinton’s famous 2013 congressional testimony, in which she asked, “What difference, at this point, does it make?” regarding the initial accounts of the attack’s origins. She was being grilled by Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) about why the administration’s initial story about a “protest” had changed.
“Hillary Clinton famously once said about Benghazi, ‘What difference at this point does it make?’” Bondi remarked. “Well, it makes a difference to Donald Trump,” she added, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to accountability.
During the Benghazi hearings and the private email server controversy, the Glover Park Group (GPG) served as a hub for the strategic communications talent defending Hillary Clinton. While GPG was not the “lawyer of record,” the firm’s partners, all former Clinton staffers, were the ones appearing on TV and speaking to reporters behind the scenes. The firm was co-founded by Michael Feldman, the current husband of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. While Feldman helped lead the firm, Howard Wolfson, a former GPG managing director and Clinton’s 2008 communications director, remained a key advisor and aggressive media surrogate in the broader Clinton orbit. Together with the Clinton campaign, GPG partners were instrumental in framing the Benghazi Committee’s investigations as a “partisan witch hunt.” The GPG brand was retired in January 2021 following a series of mergers.
Clinton and supporters have long maintained that investigations, including a Republican-led House select committee report in 2016, found no direct wrongdoing on her part though they highlighted systemic security failures and delays in military response.
What Happens Next
Al‑Bakoush is scheduled for an initial court appearance in Washington, D.C., though it is not yet known whether he has retained legal counsel.
The case will be prosecuted in federal court in the District of Columbia (D.C.). His arrest marks one of the most high-profile national security actions announced by the administration under President Trump, Bondi, Patel, and Pirro.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
