Justice Department Announces Largest Distribution of Over $2.8 Billion to Compensate Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism

The Justice Department announced that the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (the Fund) will provide its largest-ever distribution of compensation to victims in 2026. The Fund’s Special Master, Mary Patrice Brown, authorized distribution of $2.825 billion, which will provide compensation to nearly 22,000 victims of state‑sponsored terrorism. “The distribution announced today brings the total compensation provided by the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund to over $10 billion,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is honored to serve this victim community by administering the Fund. No amount of money can ever make the victims of these terrible acts whole, but this distribution aims to provide some measure of justice.” “The department’s dedicated Fund team and I applaud the courage and perseverance of victims of state‑sponsored terrorism and their families,” said Special Master Brown. “This will be the largest distribution in the Fund’s history, as we continue to ensure that all available funds reach victims and their families.” The Fund, established by Congress, and under the leadership of the department, serves thousands of victims of heinous acts of international state‑sponsored terrorism. The Fund previously authorized more than $7 billion for thousands of victims of state-sponsored terrorism and their families in five rounds of general distributions and two rounds of lump-sum catch-up payments. The Special Master’s authorization this year brings the amounts authorized for distribution to over $10 billion. Apart from an initial appropriation of approximately $1 billion from Congress and additional congressional appropriations for lump-sum catch-up payments, funds available for distributions result from certain Justice Department prosecutions and cases and other U.S. government enforcement actions. The amounts available for this distribution came from qualifying federal enforcement actions and the termination of the Beirut barracks and Khobar Towers reserve fund. Since last year’s fifth distribution, more than 1,300 new claimants qualified to join the Fund, bringing the total number of eligible claimants to nearly 22,000. Claims are anticipated to grow in the coming years as more victims of state‑sponsored terrorism apply to the Fund. Although the amount of funds available is not sufficient to compensate the victims’ claims in full, this compensation provides some measure of justice for victims of state-sponsored terrorism. More information about the Fund’s compensation to victims of state‑sponsored terrorism is available on the Fund website at www.usvsst.com, including application materials, frequently asked questions and publications.