Sunday marks 18 years since retired FBI, DEA agent and Coral Springs resident Bob Levinson was kidnapped in Iran and despite the U.S. government presuming him dead, his family continues to seek answers.
Now, the FBI is renewing its efforts, releasing new information in hopes of generating leads.
FBI demands answers from Iran
Levinson’s son, Daniel, has spent nearly two decades searching for the truth about his father’s disappearance.
“We still don’t know what happened to my dad,” he told CBS News Miami. “We still don’t have him recovered and we still don’t know exactly who within the Iranian government was holding him.”
New FBI Director Kash Patel reinforced the agency’s commitment to the case, stating, “We demand that Iran make good on its past promises to provide answers about what happened to Bob.”
The FBI also released wanted posters of two Iranian intelligence officers, Mohammad Baseri and Ahmed Khazai, who may have been involved in Levinson’s abduction.
Family clings to hope amid uncertainty
Despite a 2020 statement from the Levinson family acknowledging Bob was presumed dead, Daniel said they refuse to give up hope.
“There is that ounce of hope that maybe he’ll come back and we’ll have this big welcome home celebration for him,” he said. “Until we have hard evidence otherwise, you can still keep that hope alive.”
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Levinson’s location, recovery and return.
The U.S. State Department is also offering up to $20 million for information that leads to his whereabouts or to the identification and arrest of those responsible.
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