Most Americans applauded a long-awaited move toward justice when the FBI revealed in February 2026 that Zubayar Al-Bakoush, a suspect connected to the 2012 Benghazi attack, had been arrested. Sarah Adams, a former CIA targeting officer who tracked the terrorists responsible for four American deaths for years, was not thrilled. The individual they apprehended was “janitor-level,” but the true masterminds were still at large, according to her statement, which pierced through the political hype.
Sarah Adams is a national security advocate in 2026 who speaks unpleasant truths, refuses to accept half-measures, and continues to raise warnings about threats that most Americans never see coming. This scene perfectly captures her personality.
Who Is Sarah Adams?
Sarah Adams is not your average ex-intelligence officer who publishes memoirs years later or fades into consulting work. She has worked at the nexus of America’s most perilous counterterrorism operations for almost 20 years as an award-winning targeting officer and global threat advisor.
Her credentials speak to a career of uncommon depth and expertise:
| Role | Organization/Period |
|---|---|
| Targeting Analyst | Central Intelligence Agency (joined 2006) |
| Senior Advisor | U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Benghazi (2015–2017) |
| Overseas Intelligence Operative | Europe, Middle East, North Africa, South Asia |
| DoD Research & Development Lead | Department of Defense (present) |
Her academic foundation includes a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor’s of Science in International Business from the University of Central Florida . But her real education came on the frontlines of America’s post-9/11 counterterrorism campaigns.
The Benghazi Connection: From Targeter to Author
The attack on the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi in 2012 is the one incident that most captures Adams’ public persona. She had an insider’s perspective that few can match because she was sent to Libya during the devastating assault. The remainder of her career was influenced by that encounter. Later, from 2015 to 2017, she was a Senior Advisor to the U.S. House Select Committee on Benghazi, contributing her operational knowledge to the congressional inquiry. Additionally, she co-wrote the formal report of the committee: The Benghazi Committee Report is the Select Committee’s proposed report into the circumstances surrounding the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack.
Adams, however, did not end there. She co-wrote Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy: A Cold Case Investigation with Benghazi veteran Dave “Boon” Benton, a book that goes beyond political finger-pointing to discover the real terrorists behind the attack. The identities of the 10 attackers from the Ali Hassan al-Jaber Cell who planned the mortar attack on the CIA Annex that killed Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were disclosed by Adams and her team in a SOFREP World Exclusive. For Adams, accountability was more important than politics.
The Voice Speaking Louder in 2026
In 2026, Adams has become one of the most prominent public voices on terrorism threats to the American homeland. Her warnings are stark, specific, and often delivered through social media, bypassing traditional media filters.
The Al-Qaeda Plot Warning (September 2025)
One of her most alarming public disclosures came in September 2025. In a LinkedIn post that sent shockwaves through national security circles, Adams asserted that a large-scale terrorist operation targeting the United States has been underway since December 2021 .
According to Adams, the plot is led by Hamza bin Laden—whom she claims was not killed in 2019 as the U.S. government stated—and is now al-Qaeda’s Emir. She describes a three-pronged attack plan:
- Aviation attacks using advanced hidden bombs (Bojinka-style operations)
- Mumbai-style assault targeting Washington, D.C., with hostage-taking
- Mass casualty urban attacks hitting soft targets like churches, hospitals, malls, and transit systems nationwide
The plan allegedly involves mixed multinational cells of 5-10 people each, drawing from multiple terrorist organizations including ISIS, AQAP, Al-Shabaab, and the Taliban. Adams stated that the New Orleans attacker Jabbar was part of one such cell, not a lone wolf .
While the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) issued a memo acknowledging an al-Qaeda homeland plot, Adams criticized them for omitting “key facts, such as what was set in motion in 2021” .
The Louisiana Sleeper Cell Warning (January 2026)
In January 2026, Adams issued a direct warning to residents of Louisiana about a man with known ties to Al-Shabaab operating in three Louisiana Parishes .
She identified the man as Ali Khalaf from Somalia, describing him as “the most important al-Shabaab sleeper operative in the United States” and “an active member of both al-Qaeda and ISIS” .
Her warning was chilling in its specificity:
“After entry (to the U.S.) Ali relocated to Louisiana, where he became an active participant in an embedded operational environment. His placement there was not incidental. Louisiana functioned as a staging location and testing environment.”
Adams stressed that anyone who sees Ali Khalaf should not approach him, but report him immediately to law enforcement and federal authorities .
The IAG Deception Revelation (April 2025)
In April 2025, Adams revealed that the International Advisory Group (IAG) had fabricated false reports of the deaths of ISKP leaders—Gul Murad Khalimov, Omar Farooq, and Qais Laghmani—in an effort to mislead Western powers .
She characterized this as part of “a larger strategy to deceive Western powers” and a “dangerous double game” undermining international counterterrorism efforts .
Adams also previously uncovered that India had made payments of $10 million to the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence, with the intention of targeting militants in Pakistan . These revelations have escalated concerns about the growing nexus between India and the Taliban.
How a Targeting Officer Works
To understand why Adams’ warnings carry weight, it helps to understand what she actually did at the CIA. As a Targeting Analyst, her job was to analyze information from multiple sources to identify and track individuals or networks considered security threats .
This is not the glamorous Hollywood version of spy work. Targeting officers work in the shadows, connecting dots across fragmented intelligence, building profiles of dangerous individuals, and providing actionable intelligence to operators in the field.
Adams joined the CIA in 2006—five years after 9/11, at the height of the agency’s post-attack expansion . She worked to “identify and assess global terrorist threats aimed at the U.S., its interests, and its allies” during a period when al-Qaeda’s global networks were evolving and expanding .
What She’s Saying About U.S. Intelligence Today
If Adams is known for anything in 2026, it’s her willingness to critique the very institutions she served. In a May 2025 podcast interview with Homeland Security Today, she offered a “look at the state of U.S. intelligence and national security” that was far from flattering .
Her critiques center on several recurring themes:
Intelligence failures — Adams argues that U.S. intelligence gathering has failed to adapt to evolving threats, leaving the homeland vulnerable.
Political interference — She has been vocal about how politics corrupts national security investigations, something she witnessed firsthand during the Benghazi committee’s work .
The need for public awareness — Much of Adams’ public commentary is aimed at educating Americans about threats they would otherwise never know existed. She uses platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn to bypass traditional media filters and speak directly to the public.
The Benghazi Accountability Gap
The February 2026 arrest of Zubayar Al-Bakoush illustrates why Adams continues to speak out. While FBI Director Kash Patel called it “a massive moment for the country,” Adams offered a more sober assessment .
She explained that Al-Bakoush—referred to in her investigation as “Boy Scout #36″—had recruited boys from the Scouts to become terrorists. But he had suffered a stroke years ago and was “no longer a player” .
“This is a win, but we need to go much higher. It’s time to go after the big fish, it’s time to put Abdul Azim Ali Musa bin Ali on the X.”
The public reaction to Adams’ comments was telling. One user responded: “They arrested the usual janitor-level operative, and hope we’ll forget about it again” . Adams’ own words—”janitor-level”—captured the frustration of those who believe justice for Benghazi remains incomplete.
The Lessons from Adams’ Career
For younger professionals considering careers in national security, Adams has offered straightforward advice :
- Use internships strategically — Three summer internships can mean entering the CIA at a more senior level.
- Don’t box yourself in — There are many internships with open source intelligence that may better suit you now to get to that security clearance later.
- Work on issues you care about — Start with think tanks or firms, and you will eventually get yourself into the intelligence community to do great work.
Her own path was not a straight line. She didn’t initially envision a career at the CIA; it wasn’t until graduate school that she started learning about national security topics and intelligence community careers . Mentors played an important role in her transition, and she emphasizes having multiple mentors across different industries.
The Bottom Line
In 2026, Sarah Adams occupies a unique space in American national security. She is simultaneously:
- A former insider who understands how the intelligence community works
- A persistent critic who isn’t afraid to call out its failures
- A public educator trying to wake Americans up to threats they don’t see
- A voice for accountability who refuses to let the Benghazi attackers fade from memory
Her warnings about al-Qaeda plots, sleeper cells in Louisiana, and global terrorist coordination networks have not been universally embraced—some dismiss her as alarmist. But her track record of revealing what others tried to hide gives her words weight.
When she says there’s still “much more work to do for justice” , it’s not political rhetoric. It’s the perspective of a targeting officer who spent years tracking terrorists and knows exactly who’s still out there.
The question she leaves us with is uncomfortable: if the people who know the most about America’s terrorist threats are warning that we’re not doing enough, why aren’t we listening?
Sarah Adams is the co-author of Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy and continues to serve as a global threat advisor and commentator on national security issues. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @sarahadams for ongoing threat analysis.