Caracas, Venezuela – Venezuelan authorities have apprehended a suspect in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Panamanian passenger plane, an attack that claimed the lives of 21 people and has been attributed to the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Panamanian officials confirmed the arrest, stating that Interpol in Caracas notified its Panamanian counterpart about the detention of Venezuelan national Ali Zaki Haj Khalil. The arrest occurred on November 6th on Margarita Island, located in the state of Nueva Esparta. Extradition proceedings to Panama are reportedly underway.
Panama’s Foreign Ministry has announced the initiation of “diplomatic and legal procedures” to bring the suspect to justice. The ministry expressed concern that “an individual clearly linked to the terrorist attack on Flight 901 was residing in Venezuela without facing legal accountability.”
The bombing occurred on July 19, 1994, when Alas Chiricanas Flight 901 exploded shortly after taking off from an airport in Colon Province, Panama. All passengers on board perished, including three American citizens.
In October 2014, the United States offered a reward of $5 million for information leading to the resolution of the bombing. Washington has linked the attack to potential operatives of Hezbollah.
In 2018, Panamanian judicial authorities reopened the investigation into the case following a visit by then-President Juan Carlos Varela to Israel. During the visit, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Varela that Israeli intelligence had concluded the bombing was a “terrorist attack” potentially carried out by Hezbollah. The investigation remains ongoing.
