Family of ex-FBI agent who vanished in 2007 says U.S. officials believe he is dead

The family of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in 2007, said on Wednesday the U.S. government has concluded that Levinson died while in Iranian custody.

In a statement on Twitter, the family said it is "impossible to describe our pain." They did not share any information on when Levinson is believed to have died or how, but did say U.S. officials received information that points to Levinson's death.

Levinson vanished on March 9, 2007, while on his way to meet a source on Kish Island, Iran. The Levinson family received proof-of-life photographs and videos in 2010 and 2011, and for several years, U.S. officials said Levinson was in Iran working on a private investigation. A 2013 Associated Press investigation uncovered that Levinson was actually sent on a mission by CIA analysts who did not have authorization to conduct such an operation.

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In their statement, the Levinson family vowed that "those who are responsible for what happened to Bob Levinson, including those in the U.S. government who for many years repeatedly left him behind, will ultimately receive justice for what they have done."