WASHINGTON D.C.
Federal charges were filed against Mustafa al-Imam, a Libyan national about 46 years old, for his role in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi, Libya, officials announced today.
The attack resulted in the deaths of four Americans.
“The murder of four Americans in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 was a barbaric crime that shocked the American people. We will never forget those we lost – Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Ambassador Christopher Stevens – four brave Americans who gave their lives in service to our nation,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We owe it to them and their families to bring their murderers to justice. “
Adding, “Today the Department of Justice announces a major step forward in our ongoing investigation as Mustafa al-Imam is now in custody and will face justice in federal court for his role in the attack. I am grateful to the FBI, our partners in the intelligence community and the Department of Defense who made this apprehension possible. The United States will continue to investigate and identify all those who were involved in the attack – and we will hold them accountable for their crimes.”
Mustafa al-Imam is charged in a recently unsealed three-count criminal complaint. The complaint, which was filed under seal on May 19, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charges al-Imam with:
- Killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving the use of a firearm and dangerous weapon and attempting and conspiring to do the same.
- Providing, attempting and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death.
- Discharging, brandishing, using, carrying and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Al-Imam is in U.S. custody, and upon his arrival to the U.S. he will go before a federal judge in Washington, D.C.