An alleged senior honcho at the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah was federally charged Wednesday with helping plan the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina, and spending decades recruiting and training other terrorists.
Samuel Salman El Reda, 58, helped “plan and execute” the truck bombing of the Asociacion Mutual Israelita Argentina building in Buenos Aires – which killed 85 people and injured hundreds more, said court papers opened in Manhattan federal court.
The alleged Hezbollah leader has also been part of terrorist operations elsewhere in South America, in Asia and in Lebanon — where he is still based and “remains at large,” the Justice Department said in a press release.
Between 2007 and 2015, El Reda “helped recruit, train and manage” members of the militant group, deploying operatives to Thailand, Panama and Peru to store explosive chemicals and scout locations for possible terrorist attacks, the indictment said.
US officials have offered $7 million for information on the whereabouts of Samuel Salman El Reda, but he remains at large. DOJ
El Reda is charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization which could lead to a 55-year prison sentence if he is brought to the US to face trial.
“This indictment serves as a message to those involved in acts of terrorism: that the Justice Department’s memory is long, and we will not relent in our efforts to bring them to justice,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in a statement.
The 1994 attack on the Buenos Aires Jewish Center killed 85 people and injured hundreds of others. AP
Court records show that charges against El Reda were first filed in October 2019.
The US State Department sanctioned El Reda in July 2019 and offered a $7 million reward at the time for information they could use to track him down.
Federal officials did not explain Wednesday why they waited more than four years to unseal the charges and make the indictment public.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
