Justice After 30 Years
Decades of Pursuit: Venezuela Arrests Suspect in 1994 Panama Plane Bombing That Killed 12 Jewish Victims
Venezuelan authorities arrested Ali Hage Zaki Jalil, a terror suspect accused of coordinating the 1994 Panama plane bombing that killed 21, closing in on a Hezbollah-linked network believed to be behind the coordinated wave of attacks against Jewish targets in Latin America.
Venezuelan authorities, in a joint operation with Interpol, have arrested a Venezuelan citizen of Lebanese descent, Ali Hage Zaki Jalil, accused of helping orchestrate the 1994 bombing of Alas Chiricanas Flight 901. The devastating terrorist attack killed all 21 people aboard, including 12 members of Panama’s Jewish community. Jalil is believed to have arranged logistics and transport for the terrorists.
Jalil was detained on Margarita Island in Venezuela's Nueva Esparta State. Panama's Interpol bureau confirmed the arrest and immediately submitted a formal extradition request, marking a significant breakthrough in one of Central America's deadliest unsolved anti-Jewish terrorist attacks.
The Attack and Its Coordination
The bombing occurred on July 19, 1994, when the Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante aircraft, en route from Colón to Panama City, detonated mid-air. Investigators concluded that a suicide bomber identified as Ali Hawa Jamal boarded the flight with explosives hidden inside his luggage, killing 18 passengers and 3 crew members instantly.
The attack took place just one day after the AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which killed 85 people. Intelligence officials swiftly suspected the two incidents were part of a coordinated terror wave targeting Jewish and Israeli interests across Latin America. Both attacks were soon linked to Hezbollah operations, allegedly carried out under the alias Ansar Allah La Estrella, with support from Iran’s intelligence networks operating through South America.
A classified 1995 Panamanian intelligence memo cited “operational similarities” between the Panama and AMIA bombings, including identical explosive signatures and overlapping suspects connected to Hezbollah cells active in Venezuela and Paraguay.
The Long Investigation and Capture
For decades, the Flight 901 case languished amid regional political upheaval and limited international cooperation. The case was formally reopened in 2017 after new forensic and intelligence evidence surfaced, connecting suspects in Venezuela and Lebanon to the attack.
Panamanian and US authorities gradually narrowed their focus to Jalil, who is believed to have coordinated crucial logistics and transport for the attackers. The investigation had been heavily supported by an Interpol Red Notice, backed by the FBI and Israeli authorities. In 2024, the US State Department had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the capture of those responsible.
Officials revealed that Jalil had been living quietly on Margarita Island for years, utilizing multiple aliases and reportedly operating under the protection of local networks sympathetic to Hezbollah-linked organizations within Venezuela.
Jalil is expected to face charges of premeditated murder and crimes against state security in Panama, which could carry a potential life sentence under Panamanian law. Venezuelan authorities have confirmed he will remain in custody pending the extradition proceedings. Panamanian prosecutors are moving quickly to secure his transfer, though Venezuela has not yet formally commented on its intent to cooperate fully. Officials suggest that this arrest is a major step and that additional arrests of network members may follow.