Brandon Livesay
Reporting from New York

Image source, Getty Images

US Attorney General Merrick Garland has just released a statement on the federal charges against Luigi Mangione.

"As alleged, Mangione planned his attack for months and stalked his victim for days before murdering him," Garland said.

In the same statement, Assistant Director James Dennehy of the FBI New York Field Office says: "Mangione allegedly conducted the carefully premeditated and targeted execution of Brian Thompson to incite national debates. This alleged plot demonstrates a cavalier attitude towards humanity - deeming murder an appropriate recourse to satiate personal grievances."

It comes after an intense day of court appearances and an extradition for Mangione, who first appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom this morning before being flown to Manhattan in New York this afternoon (local time).

Mangione's New York lawyer called the charges "highly unusual". Separately, a former NYPD officer told the BBC the amount of armed police escorting Mangione was also unusual, saying it appeared similar to the protection Donald Trump received in his New York court cases.

Mangione has not entered a plea, and his team of lawyers have not applied for bail. We'll be waiting to see what happens at his next court appearance.

We're now wrapping up our live coverage. My colleague Madeline Halpert has been reporting from the hearing and brings you the latest from the federal court.

Image source, Jane Rosenberg / Reuters

Thursday's dramatic extradition operation began after Luigi Mangione's lawyers announced that he would no longer fight extradition to New York, where he is accused of killing healthcare insurance chief executive Brian Thompson in Manhattan earlier this month.

The 26-year-old was accompanied by officers and agents from a variety of law enforcement agencies. Most visibly of the officers involved were those belonging to the NYPD, which deployed counter assault teams to accompany Mangione's movements to the courthouse and then to jail where he will await trial.

New York Mayor Eric Adams met Mangione as he arrived in the city. He later told reporters he was there in person "to send a message" to people who support Mangione's alleged crimes.

Mangione now faces federal charges, as well as state charges in New York and Pennsylvania. After Thursday's federal court hearing in Manhattan his lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, described the overlapping cases as "confusing" and "highly unusual".

Agnifilo did not comment further on the case, but told reporters Mangione "appreciates everyone's support'

He is next due back in court on 18 January 2025. It is expected that he will be housed in the same pre-trial detention centre in Brooklyn where rapper Diddy is also being held.

Image source, UnitedHealth

Earlier this month, a statement issued on behalf of Brian Thompson's family paid tribute to the 50-year-old health insurance executive.

"We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian," the family said.

"Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives."

The statement added that Thompson was "an incredibly loving father" to his two sons.

UnitedHealthcare, the biggest private insurer in the US, said it was "deeply saddened and shocked" by Thompson's death.

"Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him," the company said in statement.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter

Luigi Mangione received loads of messages while in custody, according to Pennsylvania's Department of Corrections.

A spokesperson told the BBC that by Wednesday, Mangione had received 53 pieces of mail and 40 emails while in detention.

In Pennsylvania, prisoners can receive emails through a system called ConnectNetwork, which staff monitor for appropriate content. Any messages deemed inappropriate are rejected.

It's unclear who sent these letters and emails, and the Department of Corrections hasn't commented on their contents.

The killing of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has laid bare the simmering anger towards the industry. My colleagues wrote a story about this earlier in the month.

Image source, Jane Rosenberg / Reuters

Earlier, we showed you some sketches from Luigi Mangione's first court appearance of the day. That was in Pennsylvania.

Since then he was extradited to New York, where he faces federal charges.

Artist Jane Rosenberg has just shared this sketch, showing the scene in the federal court room in Manhattan.

It shows Mangione sitting between his two lawyers, Karen Friedman Agnifilo and her husband Marc Agnifilo.

Max Matza
US reporter

Image source, Reuters

The level of protection being provided to Luigi Mangione is equivalent to what visiting diplomats and dignitaries would typically receive when they visit New York, Felipe Rodriguez, a former detective sergeant who served on the NYPD for 21 years, tells the BBC.

Rodriguez, who now teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, says Mangione is receiving "extreme protective executive protection" – or what officers there simply call "protecting the package".

The suspect is being protected by at least one heavily-armoured counter assault team, who are prepared to enter a conflict if the extradition team is attacked. Rodriguez estimates that there are more than 100 agents and officers involved in today’s operation.

Based on the pictures he's seen so far, Rodriguez says there are more officers in place for the Mangione extradition than there were for the transport of Mexican drug lord El Chapo in 2017. He says there are about as many officers on the move as there were for Donald Trump's court hearings in Manhattan.

The El Chapo extradition in 2017 was "not at such a grandiose scale, so visible".

"That was to send a message basically," he says about today's transport of Mangione. "That wasn’t just the fact of keeping him safe."

The heightened security, he says, is because Mangione has "so many people that are sympathetic to his viewpoint".

"We have to be so careful. You never know what could happen."

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

The courtroom where Mangione appeared for the first time in New York was packed with reporters, young court staff and members of the public.

In court, Mangione was defended by both Karen and Marc Agnifilo - a husband-and-wife duo who both work as criminal defence lawyers.

Marc Agnifilo stood on Mangione's left-side in court, while Karen Agnifilo stood on his right.

Separately, Mr Agnifilo is representing rapper Diddy in his federal case, which is also taking place in New York.

Image source, Reuters

The Manhattan court hearing is now over and Mangione's next appearance at the federal court will be on 18 January 2025. Here's what just happened:

• The 26-year-old was charged with the murder of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, among other federal charges
• Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, asked prosecutors to clarify how many cases Mangione would be facing

• His lawyer told the Manhattan court that the overlapping cases - which include federal charges in addition to charges at a state level in New York and Pennsylvania - were "confusing" and "highly unusual"
• When leaving the court a few moments ago Agnifilio declined to comment, but said Mangione "appreciates everyone's support"
• As things stand, the suspect will remain in New York custody as his lawyers did not present a bail application today

Image source, US Nets

We've just heard a brief statement from Luigi Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, outside the Manhattan court.

She says that she is going to "respectfully decline" to comment, but adds that her client Mangione "appreciates everyone’s support".

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

Much like his hearing earlier this morning in Pennsylvania, Mangione’s demeanour was calm.

He peered once around at the courtroom and often scratched his head as the judge was speaking.

He looked much more clean shaven than his recent mug shots. He will next appear in federal court on 18 January, but that is subject to change.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

Mangione will remain in New York custody as his lawyers did not present a bail application today, though they still have the right to in the future.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

The proceeding was largely uneventful, except for when Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who had walked into the courtroom on crutches, asked prosecutors to clarify how many cases Mangione would be facing.

He has already been indicted on state charges in New York, and also faces new federal charges.

Agnifilo told the court that the overlapping cases - and a murder charge against Mangione that makes him eligible for the death penalty - were "confusing" and "highly unusual".

"I’ve never seen anything like what is happening here" in her 30 years of practicing law, she said.

Prosecutors said earlier in the hearing that the state’s case against Mangione would continue, but they declined to respond to his lawyer, saying it was not the "proper forum" to discuss it.

Luigi Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, says that in her three decades in the prosecutor's office she's never seen what's happening in this case.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

Luigi Mangione’s second appearance in court today was calm and brief.

He walked into the New York courthouse for his hearing around 15:00 EST (20:00 GMT) wearing a blue sweater and khaki pants, his feet shackled together but his hands freed.

He talked very little during the proceeding, nodding along as his rights and the charges against him were read out.

Image source, Reuters

Let's take a look at what's happened so far today as we wait to hear more news from New York.

The day began with Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of shooting dead healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York, attending two hearings in Pennsylvania. One for a gun charge in the state, and the other for a request to extradite him to New York to face murder charges.

He was then transported to New York after deciding to waive his right to contest his extradition.

Mangione is facing several federal charges, along with state charges in New York and Pennsylvania.

We'll continue to bring you the latest on this story, stay with us.

While we wait, let's show you some of the sketches of Mangione in the Pennsylvania courtroom earlier today, before he was flown to New York.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Luigi Mangione has now been escorted into the Manhattan court.

We've got a reporter in the room, but, as in Pennsylvania earlier today, phones and laptops are not allowed inside.

We'll need to wait for our colleague Madeline Halpert to leave the room before we can bring you any updates.

Stay with us.

Image source, Reuters

In addition to Eric Adams, we've also heard from New York District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, who spoke about the Luigi Mangione case in a news conference.

Laying out the case, Bragg says that Mangione "brazenly shot" Brian Thompson. Bragg describes the act as "targeted, premeditated, and meant to sow terror".

"Accordingly, we charged him here in Manhattan earlier this week with murder in the first degree, among additional charges which carry the maximum sentence of life without parole," Bragg adds.

With new federal charges now in play, Bragg suggests there should be no issue with state and federal charges proceeding against Mangione simultaneously.

"We've had state prosecutions and federal prosecutions proceed as parallel matters and we're in conversations with our law enforcement counterparts," he says.

Image source, Reuters

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been speaking to reporters outside the court.

"I want to send a very clear and loud message," he says. "This act of terrorism, and the violence that stems from it, is something that will not be tolerated in this city."

Adams thanks investigators in New York and Pennsylvania, as well as the McDonald's employee who called the police after spotting Mangione in the restaurant.

"I will say this over and over again: The radicalisation that is taking place across our country cannot be ignored," he continues.

Adams also criticises protesters outside the court supporting Mangione, saying they are backing someone who used violence to solve a problem.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The federal court where Luigi Mangione's charges were filed, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, is well-versed in handling high-profile cases.

In recent years, it's been the centre for cases against rapper and producer Sean "P Diddy" Combs, former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, and Jennifer Shah from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, who was jailed for wire fraud.

In April and May 2023, the court hosted the trial of one of its most notable defendants: President-elect Donald Trump. He was sued by author E Jean Carroll for sexual abuse and defamation as part of two civil cases. Trump was found liable in both cases, and was ordered to pay Carroll $83.3m in one case, and about $5m (£4m) in the other.

The court's history stretches back further. In 1913, for example, it handled lawsuits following the Titanic's sinking the previous year.