Ayoub's boss? Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah
Photo: AFP
An indictment has been unsealed in federal court in Detroit charging a Lebanese-born man with passport fraud in an attempt to gain entry into Israel and conduct a bombing on behalf of the Islamic militant group Hezbollah.
The US government classifies Hezbollah as a terrorist group. It's also a leading force in the Lebanese government coalition.
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Faouzi Ayoub, who is also a Canadian citizen, was indicted in August 2009 and charged with using a passport under the name of Frank Mariano Boschi to enter Israel in October 2000.
According to Detroit media, the FBI added the 44-year-old Ayoub to its most wanted terrorists list Wednesday, a move that puts him in the same category as some of the most hunted and dangerous men in the world. US authorities say Ayoub should be considered armed and dangerous.
Court records and published reports chronicle Ayoub’s alleged terrorism ties, as well as his arrest by Shin Bet officers nearly a decade ago.
Ayoub faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of passport fraud — providing the FBI can find him. His whereabouts were unclear Wednesday.
The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Lebanon if Ayoub has returned to his native land.
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