The U.S. State Department has officially designated Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in the 2015 terror attacks in France, as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist."
The order, announced in a statement Tuesday, said," All property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Abdeslam has any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him.
"Belgian-born French citizen Salah Abdeslam is an operative for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a U.S. Department of State designated Foreign Terrorist Organization," it said.
Paris terror attacks
Abdeslam is accused of helping plan the November 13 terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people at multiple locations. He allegedly rented rooms for the suicide bombers and bought explosives.
"Witnesses identified Abdeslam as the driver of a car full of gunmen that killed patrons at numerous restaurants in Paris," the State Department said.
Authorities found his DNA both on a discarded suicide belt and on traces of explosives in a Brussels apartment, the statement said.
Brussels attacks
Abdeslam was captured in Belgium on March 18 after more than four months on the run.
Days after his arrest, the Belgian capital, Brussels, was hit by suicide bombings at the main airport and a subway station.
The State Department release said a terrorism designation is "one of the ways the United States can expose and isolate organizations and individuals engaged in terrorism, impose serious sanctions on them, and enable coordinated action across the U.S. government and with our international partners" to disrupt activities.
