What Happened
Panama will begin diplomatic and judicial steps to secure the extradition of Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, a suspect linked to the 1994 terrorist attack on Alas Chiricanas flight 901. Venezuelan authorities detained him on Margarita Island after more than three decades as a fugitive.
The arrest was carried out by Interpol Venezuela in coordination with Panamanian judicial authorities, which had issued an international alert for his location and capture. Panamanian officials described the case as a matter of deep concern and said he must answer before the courts in Panama.
The Case Against Him
Hage Jalil is 57 years old and holds Venezuelan identification V-24.435.136. He was subject to Interpol Panama Red Notice No. A-4724/4-2025, requested by the Superior Prosecutor’s Office for the Metropolitan Area, on suspicion of intentional homicide and crimes against collective security, specifically involving transport and communications.
The Foreign Ministry said Panama will pursue the legal and diplomatic procedures required under international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions on counterterrorism. Officials said the country remains committed to truth, memory, and justice in a case that has remained unresolved for decades.
Why the 1994 Attack Still Matters
Flight 901 was destroyed on July 19, 1994, shortly after departing from Colón. All 21 people aboard were killed, including three U.S. citizens. The bombing became one of the deadliest attacks in Panama’s aviation history and remains a symbol of the country’s long struggle for accountability in terrorism cases.
The attack occurred one day after a car bomb exploded near the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association in Buenos Aires, killing 85 people and injuring more than 300. Days later, a group calling itself Ansar Allah, which the United States has identified as an alias of Hezbollah, claimed responsibility for both attacks from Lebanon.
What Panama Is Signaling
Panamanian authorities framed the detention as an opportunity to advance one of the country’s most sensitive legacy cases. The government said it will continue strengthening international cooperation with allied countries and multilateral organizations to prevent, investigate, and punish terrorism and illicit financing that threaten regional security and the neutrality of the Isthmus.
The case also highlights the role of international policing and extradition channels in aging transnational investigations. For Panama, securing custody of a suspect after more than 30 years would mark a significant step in a case that has long remained part of the country’s collective memory.