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.
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.