ARLINGTON, VA — A man who shot another man multiple times following an argument outside a Clarendon bar, then fled overseas and escaped custody in Portugal, was sentenced Friday to 17 years of incarceration.
Taha Zouheir was sentenced Oct. 23 in Arlington Circuit Court to 17 years of incarceration followed by three years of probation for the June 4, 2023, shooting, according to the Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
The shooting occurred about 20 minutes after Zouheir and the victim had a verbal confrontation outside a Clarendon bar.
Prosecutors said Zouheir approached the victim and his friends in a nearby parking lot while wearing a motorcycle helmet and motorcycle club vest and carrying a handgun.
After referencing the earlier dispute, Zouheir opened fire, shooting multiple times as the victim attempted to flee. Numerous bystanders were in the area when the shooting occurred.
The victim suffered gunshot wounds to his arm, torso and lower body. One bullet severed his brachial artery, causing severe blood loss that required emergency treatment and a blood transfusion.
More than three years later, the victim continues to experience nerve damage from the shooting, prosecutors said.
Investigators linked Zouheir to the shooting through witness statements, surveillance footage and cellphone location data.
Within 24 hours of the shooting, Zouheir traveled from Virginia to Florida and boarded a flight to Morocco.
Arlington prosecutors obtained an Interpol Red Notice while he was traveling, allowing authorities to apprehend him in Lisbon, Portugal, before he reached Morocco.
During the extradition process, Zouheir fled Portugal. Authorities later located and arrested him in Spain following an international search.
He was extradited to the United States in July 2025 and taken into custody upon arriving at Dulles International Airport.
Under the extradition agreement with Portugal, Zouheir could not be charged with an offense carrying a potential life sentence.
"This case reflects the devastating and lasting consequences of gun violence," Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said. "Our office is grateful to the investigators, prosecutors, and international partners whose persistence ensured that the defendant was brought back to Arlington to be held accountable."
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