Alleged Leader in Blast Arrested, TV Reports Say
The alleged ringleader of the terrorist group that bombed the World Trade Center has been arrested overseas, ABC-TV reported Tuesday night.
ABC reported on its “Nightline” program that U.S. agents had flown to “a foreign country” to arrest Mahmoud Abouhalima. The network said a government official had asked it not to identify the country to protect the agents.
Two other suspects will be arrested in the United States in the next few days, completing the “nucleus” of the group believed to have plotted the bombing, ABC said. It did not identify any of its sources by name.
WNBC-TV in New York, also quoting unidentified sources, reported on its local newscast that Abouhalima, a New Jersey taxi driver, would be arraigned today.
Asked about the reports, FBI spokesman Steve Markardt said: “I don’t know what’s going on. I have nothing on this.”
Earlier Tuesday, FBI agent James Esposito said more bombing suspects may still be loose in the United States.
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