Extradition from Venezuela Brings the Main Suspect in the Alas Chiricanas Bombing to Panama for Trial

Panama is receiving the extradition of the main suspect in the Alas Chiricanas bombing case, one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history. The arrest was carried out under an Interpol red notice after the Public Ministry reactivated the case.  The suspect is linked to the 1994 attack on an Alas Chiricanas flight that killed 21 people in Panama. The extradition marks a major step in a case that has remained a painful symbol of one of the country’s most serious acts of violence against civilians.  The Alas Chiricanas bombing shocked Panama and drew lasting public attention because of the number of victims and the circumstances surrounding the attack. For years, the case has stood out as one of the most notorious unresolved crimes in the country. 

By reactivating the investigation and moving forward with extradition, prosecutors are pushing the case back into the center of Panama’s justice system. The transfer of the suspect from Venezuela gives authorities the opportunity to advance proceedings in a matter that has carried both legal and historical weight for decades.  The extradition also highlights the use of international cooperation in serious criminal investigations. In cases involving cross-border movement, Interpol alerts and bilateral coordination can be crucial in locating and securing suspects who have remained outside the country. 

For Panama, the arrival of the alleged principal suspect may reopen public discussion about the attack, the families of the victims, and the long-delayed pursuit of accountability. It also underscores the role of the Public Ministry in reviving major cases that have remained dormant for years.  Alas Chiricanas was a Panamanian airline whose bombing left 21 people dead. The case became one of the most remembered tragedies in the country and has remained part of the national memory as a symbol of justice delayed.  With the extradition now underway, attention turns to the next judicial steps in Panama and to how prosecutors will pursue the case after the suspect’s transfer from Venezuela.

The Suspected Perpetrator of the ALAS Bombing Arrives in Panama today

In 1994, flight 901 of the Panamanian airline Alas Chiricanas exploded a few minutes after taking off from Colón airport.  The man of Lebanese origin suspected of the terrorist attack will be extradited today.  Panama will finally bring to justice the man identified as the mastermind behind one of the biggest tragedies in its aviation history. 

The Lebanese citizen, Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, arrives on Panamanian soil this Monday from Venezuela to answer for the attack against flight 901 of the Alas Chiricanas airline, an event that claimed the lives of 21 people in 1994.  Jalil’s arrival comes after a rigorous extradition process approved by the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela, the country where the suspect was captured in November 2025.  

Once the suspect sets foot on national territory, he will be placed under the custody of the judicial authorities and will be immediately transferred to a penitentiary, complying with the investigation order issued by the Superior Prosecutor’s Office for Homicide Discharge.  The Public Prosecutor’s Office maintains formal charges against Jalil for the alleged commission of intentional homicide and crimes against means of transportation.

In 1994, flight 901 of the Panamanian airline Alas Chiricanas exploded a few minutes after taking off from Colón airport.  The case was reopened following a request made in August 2019 by the Panama Senior Prosecutor’s Office, which was followed by the arrest of the suspect in Venezuela in November 2025. 

Suspect in Alas Chiricanas Bombing to Arrive in Panama Today, Extradited from Venezuela

Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, suspected of the bombing of a Panamanian commercial airliner in July 1994 that left 21 dead and which was allegedly orchestrated by the Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah, will be extradited today from Venezuela to Panama.  FBI agents had offered a reward for information on the whereabouts of Ali Hage Zaki Jalil.  Once in Panama, Zaki Hage Jalil must be placed at the disposal of the Judicial Branch so that a trial date can be set and his alleged connection to the explosion of the Alas Chiricanas company plane registered in July 1994 can be debated.