Amine El Khalifi
Amine El Khalifi (Arabic: أمين محمد الخليفي; born c. 1983) is a Moroccan man who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for plotting to carry out a suicide bombing on the United States Capitol. He was charged with "attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against federal property" and now convicted, faces 30 years in prison.
Amine El Khalifi أمين محمد الخليفي | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1983 (age 40–41) Morocco |
| Nationality | Moroccan |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
| Conviction(s) | Attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction (18 U.S.C. § 2332a) |
| Criminal penalty | 30 years imprisonment |
El Khalifi thought he was working with al-Qaeda operatives, but was actually in contact with undercover FBI agents. He is believed to have no actual ties to al-Qaeda. All arms and support were provided by the FBI, and authorities say the operation never placed the public in danger.
On June 22, 2012, El Khalifi pleaded guilty in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia of trying to carry out a suicide bomb attack on the U.S. Capitol Building in February 2012 as part of what he intended to be a terrorist operation and was sentenced to 30 years in prison the following September.