District of Columbia: The United States on Wednesday designated a suspect in the Brussels and Paris attacks known as "the man in the hat" as a global terrorist, blocking any US assets he may have.
The sanctions targeted Mohammed Abrini, a Belgian of Moroccan descent who was caught on surveillance video with two suicide bombers minutes before the March 22 attacks at the Brussels airport.
Abrini, 31, who was arrested April 8, has confessed to being "the man in white" or the "man in the hat" seen on the video.
In all, 32 people were killed at the airport and a Brussels metro station.
The State Department said he was a member of the Islamic State group cell that carried out the attacks in Brussels and in Paris on November 13, 2015, that killed 130 people.
He is suspected of taking part in surveillance ahead of the Paris attack and of helping to plan attacks in Britain and Germany, according to the State Department.
The United States reserves the "global terrorist" designation for foreign individuals or groups who have committed or are deemed to pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism that threaten US national security.
The action freezes any assets Abrini may have in US jurisdictions, and prohibits Americans from engaging in any transactions with him.
