Written by: La Tabla/Data Journalism Platform 10 NOV 2025
An investigation by EL TIEMPO has uncovered that the tracking of Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, linked by the FBI to the 1994 attack on a Panamanian plane, was achieved through espionage activities originating from Colombia, which also gathered sensitive intel about Venezuelan military installations.
The paradox of this case: while an expensive intelligence operation was underway to locate him, the suspect led a very visible public life on Margarita Island, with registered businesses and a notable presence in local media and social networks.
The narrative of a dangerous terrorist hiding for three decades in Venezuela crumbles in light of documented evidence. Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, identified by the FBI as a suspect in the 1994 bombing of Alas Chiricanas flight 901, cultivated a public persona in both Venezuela and Panama, discrediting claims that he was a fugitive.
All his businesses are linked to him on his social accounts
In his personal account profile, he even identifies his children
According to exclusive information published by EL TIEMPO in November 2022, the location of Hage Jalil was carried out through an intelligence operation based in Colombia that, from 2018 to 2022, also executed espionage activities on Venezuelan military installations.
#InVideo: images and data from the espionage operation
Public life, not clandestine
Contrary to the image of a hidden fugitive, Hage Jalil maintained a constant public presence on Margarita Island. He was recognized as the owner of several commercial establishments dedicated to gastronomy and beach bars. His family profile was equally visible; in October 2017, the newspaper El Sol de Margarita dedicated several pages to the birthday of his sister Fawda Hage, where Ali Zaki appeared in at least four photographs.
Public business records obtained through this investigation show that Hage Jalil conducted business activities in Panama between 2011 and 2017, always openly, without hiding his identity. His sister, Fawda Hage, is a well-known local merchant, guild spokesperson, and president of the Margarita Runners club.
Espionage with dual purpose
EL TIEMPO’s investigation documented that a Venezuelan engineer, an immigrant in Bogotá, was recruited by a former Colombian military officer to conduct espionage in Venezuela. In his complaint to the Prosecutor’s Office, he stated that his main mission was “to verify that a Lebanese-born citizen with Venezuelan citizenship was alive and residing on Isla Margarita.”
However, the operation also included a second strategic objective: to gather information about Venezuelan military assets, including Russian tanks, Sukhoi aircraft, and anti-aircraft missiles located at the Capitán Manuel Ríos military base in Guárico.
The accidental spy told EL TIEMPO: “He asked me to look for and take photos of Ali Hage Zaki Jalil. I located him, in 2018, at one of the three gastro-bars he owns there and I started to earn his trust.”
Timeline that dismantles the official narrative
The timeline reveals contradictions in the official account:
· 1994-2017: Hage Jalil leads a public life in Margarita and Panama
· October 2017: He is visibly featured in local media
· 2018: Espionage operation begins from Colombia
· October 2019: The investigation in Panama is formally reopened
· 2022: EL TIEMPO reveals the intelligence operation
· 2025: Capture is finalized
Geopolitical operation
The timing of the operation coincides with the peak of tension between the governments of Iván Duque (2018-2022) and Nicolás Maduro, suggesting that the espionage served broader strategic objectives beyond merely locating a suspect.
The paradox becomes clear: a costly intelligence operation was executed to locate a man who had never shaed his whereabouts, while simultaneously leveraging the infrastructure to gather sensitive Venezuelan military information.
The capture of Hage Jalil, more than the conclusion of a three-decade-long manhunt, appears as a collateral result of a regional espionage operation with multiple strategic aims.