NewsABC Action News (WFTS) — NewsSeptember 11, 2026Hillsborough County
News report examines declassified FBI records on potential Saudi support network for 9/11 hijackers involving flights from Tampa and Sarasota
Photo: ABC Action News (WFTS) — News
Newly declassified FBI records and historical investigations point to a potential secret Saudi support network for the 9/11 hijackers, detailing the departure of Saudi nationals from Florida shortly after the attacks and ongoing legal efforts by victims' families to obtain classified files. The reporting highlights Operation Encore, the FBI's secondary investigation into potential Saudi connections, and mentions flights leaving Tampa and Lexington in September 2001.
Read the full story at ABC Action News (WFTS) — NewsWhy It Matters
Declassified records and ongoing lawsuits impact public understanding of national security events, government transparency, and potential foreign liability for the September 11 attacks.
Key Facts
- More than 80,000 records compiled by the Tampa FBI Field Office regarding the 9/11 attacks remain classified twenty-five years later.
- Fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia.
- A prominent Saudi family living in Sarasota left their home days before the attacks, leaving behind personal items; an FBI memo stated they had many connections to the hijackers.
- On September 13, 2001, three young men with connections to the Saudi Royal Family took a chartered flight from Tampa International Airport to Lexington, Kentucky.
- An FBI flight log shows 14 Saudis flew out of Lexington on September 16, 2001, as part of a larger group of 142 Saudis evacuated from the U.S. with assistance from Saudi officials.
- New information released in 2021 by the Biden administration states that Omar Al-Bayoumi, described by the FBI as a Saudi intelligence asset, provided financial support to two of the hijackers in California.
- A home video seized from Al-Bayoumi's apartment appeared to show him conducting surveillance of the U.S. Capitol prior to the attacks.
- Families of 9/11 victims have filed lawsuits against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia alleging responsibility for the attacks, which Saudi officials have denied.
Who's Mentioned
OrganizationKingdom of Saudi Arabia“Sued by families of 9/11 victims.”locationShanksville“Location where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.”PersonTala Al Mejrad“Student who flew out of Lexington on September 16, 2001.”PersonDick Cheney“Vice President at the time of the attacks.”PersonBandar“Then Saudi ambassador and member of the royal family.”otherOperation Encore“The FBI's second secret investigation into the Saudi connection to 9/11.”locationPrestancia“Gated neighborhood in Sarasota where a prominent Saudi family lived before leavi”PersonAhmed bin Salman“Saudi prince whose horse War Emblem won the Kentucky Derby.”PersonDan Christensen“Investigative reporter quoted in the article.”PersonOmar Al-Bayoumi“Described by the FBI as a Saudi intelligence asset who offered financial support”PersonFahad Al Zeid“Student who flew out of Lexington on September 16, 2001.”PersonAhmad Al Hazmi“Student who flew out of Lexington on September 16, 2001.”PersonGeorge W. Bush“U.S. President at the time of the attacks.”PersonCondoleezza Rice“National security adviser at the time of the attacks.”locationLexington“City in Kentucky where passengers flew after departing Tampa.”locationTampa International Airport“Location from which a chartered flight departed on Sept. 13, 2001.”PersonBob Graham“Late Florida Senator who served on the committee that investigated 9/11.”locationHarbour Island“Condo complex in Tampa where three young men with connections to the Saudi Royal”