Judicial Watch Sues for Records on Killing of Terrorist on FBI’s Most Wanted List

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for records about Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as “Marwan,” who was killed in a police raid in the Philippines on January 25, 2015 (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:26-cv-00386)).

Judicial Watch sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Justice Department failed to respond to an April 2025 FOIA request for records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding Marwan, including documents, communications, reports, images, audio, data, and any other records—regardless of format. The request seeks records mostly from 2010 through 2017, including:

• Records concerning FBI personnel deployed to the Philippines in support of Oplan Exodus or efforts to identify Marwan;
• Communications between the FBI and the Philippine National Police, U.S. Special Operations Forces, Joint Special Operations Task Force–Philippines, the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, and other U.S. and Philippine government entities regarding Marwan’s location, targeting, capture, or killing;
• Intelligence reports, surveillance materials, and operational summaries relating to Marwan’s movements and identification prior to the January 25, 2015, operation;
• Records regarding any FBI briefing or debriefing tied to Oplan Exodus;
• Records concerning claims for the FBI reward offered for Marwan, including communications with the U.S. State Department and Philippine government officials; and
• Records relating to 2017 public statements by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte alleging CIA and FBI involvement in the operation.

Marwan was a high-profile international terrorist on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Most Wanted List with a $5 million reward. In August 2007, he was indicted by the Justice Department for conspiracy and providing material support to terrorists:

Zulkifli Abdhir, aka “Zulkifli Bin Abdul Hir,” aka “Hulagu,” aka “Marwan,” age 41, a fugitive believed to be in the Philippines, is charged in the indictment with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and providing material support to terrorists. In September 2003, the U.S. government designated Abdhir as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224. In March 2007, the State Department added him to the most-wanted list of its Rewards for Justice program and authorized a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction …

In January 2015, Marwan reportedly was killed during a raid by the Philippine National Police Special Action Force. Forty-four members of the police’s elite Special Action Force were also killed in the assault.

“We should have transparency regarding events surrounding this high-profile international terrorist on the FBI’s Most Wanted list,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. “The operation that brought him down over a decade ago was a major event in Philippine and U.S. counterterrorism history. After this much time there is no reason for secrecy.”

Judicial Watch filed a previous lawsuit in June 2025 against the Justice Department for records related to the killing of Marwan (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:25-cv-01991)). The lawsuit asks for records about the collection, analysis, and chain of custody of a severed left index finger alleged to belong to Marwan, as well as photographs of his body and any related identification or forensic documentation.

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