A high-ranking Saudi official previously implicated in a U.S. criminal case involving the infiltration of a major social media platform is expected to be part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s upcoming visit to the United States. This marks the royal’s first trip to the country in seven years.
The official, Bader al-Asaker, who leads the Crown Prince’s private office, was identified in U.S. court proceedings as a central figure in a conspiracy to place agents inside the company, then known as Twitter. Prosecutors alleged the scheme aimed to unmask anonymous accounts critical of the Saudi government. While al-Asaker has not been formally charged, a 2020 indictment describes a “Foreign Official-1″—subsequently named in court as al-Asaker—as orchestrating the effort to recruit an insider who could provide confidential user data.
The operation had severe consequences. It reportedly led to the arrest and imprisonment of at least one Saudi national, Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, who was sentenced to 20 years for running a satirical account. The case has been cited as a prominent example of transnational repression tactics used to silence dissent abroad.
The Crown Prince’s visit proceeds under a shield of legal immunity granted since his appointment as prime minister, which led to the dismissal of civil cases against him in U.S. courts. However, scrutiny remains on members of his inner circle. U.S. prosecutors have stated that al-Asaker met with two individuals later charged as illegal Saudi agents during a 2015 delegation to Washington. Those agents allegedly received promises of money and employment in exchange for confidential user information. One accomplice was convicted, while two others fled to Saudi Arabia and remain on the FBI’s most-wanted list.
Separately, al-Asaker is named in an ongoing U.S. civil lawsuit filed by Saad Aljabri, a former Saudi intelligence official now living abroad. Aljabri alleges that al-Asaker and another aide were involved in a plot to locate and kill him on U.S. soil. Aljabri’s legal team claims the Saudi defendants have not cooperated with the discovery process in that case. Lawyers for al-Asaker have denied all allegations, stating he had no relevant communications or involvement.
The Saudi embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment on the official’s travel plans or the allegations.