Sebastian Rotella

Read Sebastian Rotella's e-book, Finding Oscar: Massacre, Memory and Justice in Guatemala, on your Kindle or mobile device.

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An award-winning foreign correspondent and investigative reporter, Sebastian worked for almost 23 years for the Los Angeles Times, covering everything from terrorism to arts to the Mexican border. He served most recently as a national security correspondent in Washington, D.C., and his previous posts include international investigative correspondent and bureau chief in Paris and Buenos Aires, with assignments in the Middle East and North Africa.

Rotella has been honored with numerous journalism awards throughout his career. In 2013, his multi-faceted "Finding Oscar" investigation won a Peabody Award, Dart Center Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma, and was a finalist for the Scripps Howard Ernie Pyle Award. He was recognized with an Urbino Press Award in 2012 for excellence in journalism. His "A Perfect Terrorist" investigation of the Mumbai attacks (in conjunction with Frontline) was nominated for an Emmy and the online version of the story resulted in his third Overseas Press Club Award in 2011.

In 2006, he was named a Pulitzer finalist for international reporting for his coverage of terrorism and Muslim communities in Europe. He won the German Marshall Fund's senior award for excellence in European reporting the same year. He was part of a team whose coverage of al-Qaida received an award from the Overseas Press Club and finalist honors for Harvard University's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting in 2002. In 2001, he won Columbia University's Maria Moors Cabot Prize for his career coverage of Latin America. His work in Latin America also won honors from the Overseas Press Club, the Inter-American Press Association and the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

He is the author of two books: Twilight on the Line: Underworlds and Politics at the U.S.-Mexico Border, which was named a New York Times Notable Book in 1998; and the novel, Triple Crossing, published by Little, Brown/Mulholland Books in August, 2011. He speaks Spanish, French and Italian. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and was born in Chicago.

Articles (page 3 of 3)

Pakistan’s Terror Ties at Center of Upcoming Chicago Trial

May 4, 2011, 4:11 p.m.

Federal prosecutors have quietly charged a suspected Pakistani intelligence officer with helping to plot the murders of six Americans in the 2008 terror Mumbai attacks. The trial of a defendant in the case begins this month in Chicago.

Discovery of Bin Laden Hideout Spotlights Concerns About Pakistan’s Intelligence Service

May 2, 2011, 7:29 p.m.

Suspicions that Bin Laden was protected by Pakistan’s intelligence service reinforce longtime allegations that the ISI plays a double game.

Mumbai Case Offers Rare Picture of Ties Between Pakistan’s Intelligence Service, Militants

May 2, 2011, 12:11 p.m.

The confession by a key operative and other evidence gathered by U.S. authorities provides a rare look at the dealings between Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate and Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani militant group. The question remains: How much did senior officials know about the attack?

Four Alleged Masterminds of 2008 Mumbai Attacks Are Indicted in Chicago

April 25, 2011, 9:05 p.m.

Four alleged masterminds of the Mumbai attacks have been indicted in a U.S. federal court, including two who have been linked to Pakistan’s government, a close U.S. ally in the fight against terrorism.

Pakistan and the Mumbai Attacks: The Untold Story

Jan. 26, 2011, 9 a.m.

The 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai offer a rare picture of the ties between Pakistan’s intelligence service and the militant group Lashkar-i-Taiba. The trail of two key figures, an accused Pakistani mastermind and his American operative, traces the rise of a complex, international threat.

Mumbai: The Plot Unfolds, Lashkar Strikes and Investigators Scramble

Nov. 14, 2010, 10:36 p.m.

Sajid Mir, a mysterious Lashkar chief with close ties to Pakistani security forces, American David Coleman Headley to scout hotels and other targets in Mumbai where foreigners are likely to be found. During the attack, Mir’s voice is heard on intercepted phone calls urging the gunmen to kill.

The Man Behind Mumbai

Nov. 13, 2010, 9:39 p.m.

U.S. authorities identify a mastermind of plot that killed 166. Whether he will be brought to justice remains uncertain.

Newly Discovered Warnings About Headley Reveal a Troubling Timeline in Mumbai Case

Nov. 5, 2010, 6:49 p.m.

Federal inquiry suggests flawed information-sharing and an overwhelming flow of intelligence kept U.S. investigators from identifying the threat posed by an American terrorist.

Intelligence Chief to Review Handling of Mumbai Tips

Oct. 20, 2010, 6:39 a.m.

The Director of National Intelligence will review the handling of David Coleman Headley, the former U.S. informant and confessed plotter of the Mumbai attacks in 2008

U.S. Embassy Didn’t Pass Along Tip About Headley’s Ties to Mumbai Terrorists

Oct. 17, 2010, 2:18 p.m.

More questions are being raised about how federal law enforcement officials handled two tips they received about David Coleman Headley, the U.S. businessman and former DEA informant who has confessed to helping plot the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai.

Feds Confirm Mumbai Plotter Trained With Terrorists While Working for DEA

Oct. 16, 2010, 10:04 p.m.

Federal officials confirm that David Coleman Headley, who has confessed to helping terrorists plot the 2008 Mumbai attack, was working as a DEA informant while he trained with terrorists.

FBI Was Warned Years in Advance of Mumbai Attacker’s Terror Ties

Oct. 15, 2010, 4:18 p.m.

Three years before the Mumbai attack, the U.S. was warned that a key figure in the plot had terror ties.

Times Square Bombing Investigation Focuses on Suspected Role of Pakistani Army Major

May 20, 2010, 11:05 p.m.

U.S. investigators are looking into whether a major in Pakistan’s army knew of Faisal Shahzad’s plans to attack U.S. targets months before Shahzad tried to ignite a car bomb in the heart of New York City. Pakistani officials have arrested the major.

Pakistani Taliban Link to Times Square Bombing Attempt Would Have Troubling Implications

May 6, 2010, 3:45 p.m.

If the failed Times Square bombing is linked to the Pakistani Taliban, it could mean that a group with hardened fighters, previously intent on created an Islamic regime at home, is turning its sights on the U.S.

U.S. Terror Targets Unprotected, According to Former CIA Official

April 15, 2010, 9:02 a.m.

In a new book, a former CIA counterterrorism operative says little has been done to make America safer since Sept. 11. Charles S. Faddis says that while observing potential U.S. targets, he encountered systemically outmoded defenses and poorly trained personnel.

Iran’s Efforts to Buy Embargoed Arms Revealed in Italian Case

March 31, 2010, 3:33 p.m.

Court documents in an Italian guns-running case highlight how Iranian buyers seek embargoed military goods, and how difficult it is for the trade to be stemmed.

Map: U.S. and Mexico Patrol the Border

Feb. 18, 2010, 1:01 a.m.

Border Patrol and Mexican Police Make History at Arizona Border

Feb. 18, 2010, 1 a.m.

For the first time, Border Patrol agents and Mexican federal police officers are training together, sharing intelligence and coordinating patrols. It is a joint attack on northbound flows of drugs and migrants, and southbound shipments of guns and cash.

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Read Sebastian Rotella's e-book, Finding Oscar: Massacre, Memory and Justice in Guatemala, on your Kindle or mobile device.