WASHINGTON - The alleged mastermind in the 2012 Benghazi terror attacks that killed the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans is now in the U.S. capital awaiting his arraignment.

Ahmed Abu Khattala, a Libyan ringleader, was flown to Washington via helicopter early Saturday straight from the Navy warship USS New York, which transported him from Libya to an undisclosed dock near the capital.

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The ship had gone "dark" with its entire outbound communications shut down during the course of its critical journey to bring a high-profile terror suspect into American soil to face trial.

An official who declined to be identified said Abu Khattala was flown into Washington's Southeast neighborhood of Anacostia by one of the helicopters of the USS New York.

Security was tightened around the Federal Court where the ringleader was expected to make his initial appearance for the reading of his charges on Saturday afternoon.

Abu Khattala is facing three counts of terror-related crimes over the attack on the American Mission in Benghazi, Libya which killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in the morning of September 11, 2012.  The crime is punishable by death.

U.S. commandos captured Abu Khattala in a raid on a seaside villa outside Benghazi two weeks ago and held him inside the USS New York where he underwent interrogation by FBI agents prior to his transport to Washington.

Investigators took more than a year to build a case against the Libyan ringleader, and had involved numerous trips to Libya and Tunisia to track down and interview hundreds of eyewitnesses.

The case they've built against Abu Khattala, although they believe it to be strong enough to stand in court, would rely heavily on the accounts of hundreds of foreign eyewitnesses, whom they will have to bring to the U.S. for court appearances in the course of the trial.

Several witnesses had attested to seeing Abu Khattala direct the Benghazi attack on the American Mission compound, but the ringleader had earlier denied any involvement in the attack saying he was there trying to help trapped people out of the crime scene. 

TagsAhmed Abu Khattala, Benghazi attack, Benghazi mastermind