United States federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez, the man accused of killing two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, District of Columbia, in May 2025. Authorities allege the attack was carried out with substantial planning and premeditation.

In a formal notice, prosecutors said Rodriguez was motivated by political, ideological, national, and religious bias and deliberately targeted individuals he believed were attending an event for young Jewish professionals organized by the American Jewish Committee. Officials argue he aimed to amplify the impact of the attack by selecting the high-profile gathering.

Former United States attorney general Pam Bondi previously described the killings as an act of antisemitism, stating that the victims were murdered because they were Jewish. She characterized antisemitism as a growing national crisis and criticized institutions and leaders for failing to confront it with sufficient urgency.