2011 Request for
Information on Tamerlan Tsarnaev from Foreign Government

The two individuals believed to be responsible for the Boston Marathon
bombings on Monday have been positively identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, now
deceased, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, now in custody. These individuals are brothers
and residents of Massachusetts. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a legal permanent resident
and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Charges have not yet been
filed against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and he is presumed innocent.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, age 26, was previously designated as Suspect 1, wearing a
black hat. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, age 19, was designated as Suspect 2, wearing a
white hat. Both were born in Kyrgyzstan.

Once the FBI learned the identities of the two brothers today, the FBI
reviewed its records and determined that in early 2011, a foreign government
asked the FBI for information about Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The request stated that
it was based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong
believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave
the United States for travel to the country’s region to join unspecified
underground groups.

In response to this 2011 request, the FBI checked U.S. government databases
and other information to look for such things as derogatory telephone
communications, possible use of online sites associated with the promotion of
radical activity, associations with other persons of interest, travel history
and plans, and education history. The FBI also interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev and
family members. The FBI did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or
foreign, and those results were provided to the foreign government in the summer
of 2011. The FBI requested but did not receive more specific or additional
information from the foreign government.