Mahmud Abouhalima

Mahmud Abouhalima
Born	(1958-12-14) December 14, 1958 Kafr Dawar, Egypt
Occupation	Convicted terrorist
Known for	Involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing

Mahmud Abouhalima () (born December 14, 1958) is an Egyptian national convicted for his involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He is currently serving a sentence of 78 years and 4 months at ADX Florence located in Florence, Colorado.

Life

Originating from Kafr Dawar, Egypt, Abouhalima was affiliated with the banned Islamic organization Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, which regarded Omar Abdel Rahman as its spiritual guide. He briefly enrolled at Alexandria University before departing Egypt in 1981 to reside in Germany. During this period, he admitted to leading a lifestyle marked by "corruption—girls, drugs, you name it."

After being denied political asylum in 1982, he married German national Renate Soika to secure residency in Germany, divorcing her three years later and subsequently marrying Marianne Weber in a Muslim ceremony. He later relocated to Brooklyn, and following the expiration of his American tourist visa, he applied for amnesty as an agricultural laborer, ultimately obtaining permanent resident status under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Between 1986 and 1991, Abouhalima worked as a taxi driver in New York City, despite having his license suspended on ten occasions due to traffic infractions and attempts to overcharge passengers. Simultaneously, he volunteered with a Brooklyn-based nonprofit organization that raised funds for the Afghan Mujahideen.

Militancy

In 1988, Abouhalima traveled to Afghanistan to demonstrate his dedication to Islam and underwent military training in Peshawar.Ali Mohamed, a sergeant stationed at Fort Bragg, provided U.S. Army manuals and assistance to individuals connected with the al-Farouq Mosque. Abouhalima and associates such as El Sayyid Nosair practiced firearms skills at the Calverton Shooting Range on Long Island, frequently wearing t-shirts displaying a map of Afghanistan along with the phrase "Help Each Other in Goodness and Piety...A Muslim to a Muslim is a Brick Wall." During these sessions, Abouhalima wore a cap bearing the NRA logo. Following Nosair's assassination of Meir Kahane, Abouhalima reportedly served as the driver for the getaway vehicle, although Nosair mistakenly entered a different taxi.

The FBI conducted an investigation into Abouhalima until January 1993; however, this probe was discontinued shortly before the bombing of the World Trade Center. On February 26, 1993, he was observed alongside Mohammed A. Salameh at a storage facility in Jersey City allegedly used for assembling explosives.

Capture

Abouhalima escaped first to Saudi Arabia and then returned to his homeland of Egypt, where authorities apprehended him. After enduring torture by Egyptian police, he was extradited back to the United States on March 24.

In March 1994, he received a prison sentence totaling 240 years; following an appeal, this was reduced to 1,300 months (equivalent to 108 years). In 2021, one of his convictions was overturned, resulting in a sentence reduction of 30 years. He remains incarcerated at ADX Florence in Florence, Colorado, with a projected release date of March 8, 2060. His Federal Bureau of Prisons identification number is 28064–054.

In 2013, Abouhalima depicted life inside supermax confinement as being restricted to a small cell that functions for all daily activities—including eating, sleeping, and hygiene—with severely limited opportunities for interaction.