Justice After 31 Years: Panama Takes Custody of Flight 901 Bombing Suspect

After 31 years, Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, the main suspect in the 1994 Alas Chiricanas bombing, has been extradited from Venezuela to Panama to face life in prison.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 22, 2026, 10:29 AM EDT

Source: Havana Times

The Crime and the Suspect

On July 19, 1994, Flight 901 exploded mid-air shortly after departing from Colón, killing all 21 people on board.

The Victims: The manifest included 12 members of the Jewish community and three U.S. citizens.

The Allegations: Panamanian prosecutors allege Hage Jalil was the logistical mastermind, procuring explosives and coordinating with the suicide bomber, Ali Hawa Jamal.

The Background: Hage Jalil is of Lebanese descent and was born in Maicao, Colombia. He lived in Panama’s Colón Free Zone during the early 1990s before relocating to Venezuela, where he operated a luxury restaurant until his arrest in late 2025.

The Hezbollah Connection