Jesús Daniel Romero and William Acosta for Poder & Dinero and FinGurú
The persistent efforts of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dismantle Hezbollah will likely drive the organization's operatives abroad to increase their criminal activities. This increase aims to generate the necessary resources for recovery efforts and strengthen Hezbollah's overall capabilities. This report examines the connections between the Venezuelan regime and Hezbollah, particularly in light of possible changes in Hezbollah's leadership.
The potential removal of Hassan Nasrallah as leader of Hezbollah could create a leadership vacuum, leading to instability within the organization. Such instability may require operational adjustments in Latin America as Hezbollah seeks to maintain cohesion and effectiveness in its activities. The Venezuelan regime is expected to maintain its political and operational support for Hezbollah, framing this relationship as part of its anti-imperialist strategy. This support includes facilitating Hezbollah's movements within Venezuela, providing financial resources, and engaging in intelligence sharing to improve operational effectiveness.
The Venezuelan government could channel funds to Hezbollah through state-owned companies while also facilitating drug trafficking and arms smuggling operations that benefit both organizations. This collaboration is crucial for maintaining Hezbollah's operations and financial stability during recovery efforts. The regime is likely to offer training to Hezbollah operatives, enhancing their skills in areas such as guerrilla warfare, urban combat, and intelligence gathering. This support will strengthen Hezbollah's operational capabilities in the region and prepare them for potential confrontations.
Hezbollah representatives are permitted to carry out recruitment activities within Venezuela, targeting local communities to expand their influence and operational base. This recruitment strategy is vital for sustaining the workforce and resources as they seek to recover and regroup. In response to international scrutiny, the Venezuelan government may adopt a denial strategy regarding Hezbollah's activities. By presenting their presence as benign and focused on humanitarian efforts, the regime seeks to mitigate potential negative reactions from the international community.
The Venezuelan regime may seek to consolidate alliances with other nations supporting Hezbollah, enhancing collective efforts against U.S. influence in the region. This geopolitical move could lead to increased collaboration among like-minded governments. As Hezbollah faces greater scrutiny due to the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces, both the Venezuelan regime and Hezbollah may need to adapt their strategies. This adaptation will be crucial to effectively navigate potential challenges and retaliation threats.
Hezbollah's presence in Latin America has historical roots, particularly in the Triple Frontier region between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, where it has been involved in recruitment, money laundering, and fundraising since the 1980s. The 1994 bombing of the AMIA building in Buenos Aires highlighted the organization’s activities in the area. The connections between Iranian officials and local operatives further complicate the landscape, revealing a network of financial and logistical support for Hezbollah.
Venezuela has become a key stronghold for Hezbollah in Latin America, especially since the alliance between Hugo Chávez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2000s. This partnership has enabled Hezbollah to expand its influence, with Venezuelan officials facilitating operations and providing substantial financial backing. Tareck El Aissami has played a significant role in managing Hezbollah's activities in Venezuela, overseeing the establishment of systems that support the organization’s operations.
Collaboration with Iran includes significant financial contributions and logistical support, with estimates suggesting that Hezbollah receives approximately $1 billion annually. The presence of Iran-backed groups and the facilitation of arms transport have raised alarms about the potential for terrorist activities aimed at regional and international interests.
Recent developments, such as the arrest of individuals linked to Hezbollah and its operations in countries like Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia, underscore the ongoing threat posed by the organization. The ties between Hezbollah and drug cartels have been well documented, with allegations of collaboration in drug trafficking and money laundering highlighting the complex interconnections between organized crime and terrorism.
As Hezbollah continues to strengthen its presence through local alliances and operational adaptations, the potential for new attacks and destabilization in the region remains an urgent concern. The evolving geopolitical landscape, along with rising anti-Semitism and anti-Western sentiment, creates fertile ground for recruitment and Hezbollah's activities.
The recent "Operation Trapiche," which dismantled a Hezbollah cell in Brazil, raises a crucial question: How present is this terrorist organization in Latin America, and what is the real risk it poses? It is essential to track Hezbollah's presence on the continent and understand the longevity of its infiltration. This analysis will reveal how they operate, who their allies are, and how rooted their network is within local governments and economies.
Since the 1980s, the Triple Frontier between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay has been a historical enclave for recruitment, money laundering, and fundraising for Islamic terrorism. Following the AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires in July 1994, the region returned to the spotlight. Buenos Aires commissioner Juan José Ribelli, investigated for his involvement in the local connection to the bombing, traveled to the Triple Frontier shortly before the attack and received a transfer of $2.5 million, which he justified as family inheritance. The investigation into this transfer and Ribelli's other contacts in the Triple Frontier was hampered by interference from the government of Peronist Carlos Menem. Advances in proving these ties were annulled due to "procedural errors." Menem even obstructed the deepening of other leads, such as one investigating the relationship of his personal doctor, Alejandro Tfeli, of Syrian descent, with the Syrian-Lebanese community involved. The investigation ultimately demonstrated that the bombing was led by Moshen Rabbani, the cultural attaché of the Iranian embassy in Buenos Aires, connecting Hezbollah to other countries in the region.
Rabbani's brother, Mohamed Baquer Rabbanni Rezavi, founded the Iranian Association of Brazil, which hosts at least one million Muslims. One of his associates, Khaled Taki Eldyn, leads the mosque in São Paulo, the city with the largest Jewish community in Brazil. Despite the annulment of the case related to the bombing, a parallel process against Iranian officials continued, resulting in an Interpol red notice for their capture. Facing risks, Rabbani left his post in Buenos Aires and appeared in Caracas in 2010.
Venezuela has become the main stronghold for Hezbollah in Latin America. Since the alliance between Hugo Chávez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2000s, the Chavista regime has acted as a representative and platform for Hezbollah to expand its influence in the region. This agreement included the sale of uranium for the Iranian nuclear program and the triangulation of Argentine atomic technology, generating significant profits for the governments of Néstor and Cristina Kirchner.
The connection with Hezbollah in Venezuela has been managed by Tareck El Aissami, former governor of Aragua and former vice president under Nicolás Maduro, along with members of Al Quds, the external branch of the Iranian theocratic regime. In 2007, Ghazi Nasserddine, a Lebanese nationalized Venezuelan, was appointed as the second in the Venezuelan Embassy in Syria, from where 10,000 passports were issued between 2008 and 2009. Under Nasserddine's direction and at the behest of El Aissami, a property acquisition system was established in Isla Margarita, creating a sanctuary and meeting place for Hezbollah terrorists and other groups like Hamas. Ghazi's brother, Abdallah Nasserddine, president of the Federation of Arab Entities in Latin America, facilitated the expansion of Iranian influence in the region.
Al Quds manages Hezbollah with estimated annual contributions of $1 billion and an arsenal that includes 70,000 rockets and long-range missiles, representing a threat to Israel. Al Quds also controls Mahan Air, the airline that transports arms to Hezbollah through Syria. A Mahan Air plane was sold to the Venezuelan state-owned EMTRASUR to establish a cargo line in Latin America that operated under the state company Conviasa.
In June 2022, a Boeing 747 from EMTRASUR arrived in Argentina, crewed by two Iranians linked to Al Quds. Despite alerts from four intelligence agencies, officials close to Cristina Kirchner ignored the situation. Only after a public scandal did the Argentine government intervene, although attempts were made to justify the presence of 19 crew members and facilitate the exit of the Iranians from the country.
For her collaboration with Iran and its terrorist groups, Vice President Kirchner faces trial for "treason" related to an attempt to protect those responsible for the AMIA bombing from an international arrest request. Kirchner’s government has demonstrated its alliance with Iran by not sending an arrest request to Nicaragua in January 2022 during the visit of Moshe Rezai, one of the suspects in the bombing. Nicaragua, along with Venezuela, votes in favor of Iran at the UN, as does the Cuban dictatorship.
In 2017, U.S. justice declassified a message from Mossad directed to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, warning about Hezbollah's intention to open a headquarters in Cuba to organize attacks against Jews in America and Europe. Negotiations with Cuban intelligence were conducted by Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, seeking to avenge the death of Imad Mugniyeh, a group leader involved in the attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992.
The shadow of another AMIA attacker was evident when Samel Akil Rada attempted to traffic 500 kg of cocaine from Costa Rica to Panama, with the cargo being seized in El Salvador. This individual is the brother of Amer Mohamed Reda of the Islamic Jihad.
In Mexico, Hezbollah has collaborated with the Sinaloa cartel in money laundering activities since 2011. Its presence dates back to 2002 when Salim Boughader Mucharrafille, a Lebanese citizen, was arrested for operating a network that smuggled at least 200 people into the U.S., including suspected members of the terrorist group. In 2005, Mahmoud Youssef Kourani was arrested after illegally entering the U.S. from Mexico and fundraising for Hezbollah in the Muslim community in Michigan. His brother was the head of operations for Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao/legacy/2008/12/01/usab5606.pdf
Since then, multiple indications of the link between Hezbollah and drug cartels have emerged. U.S. authorities have reported similarities in the technology used by both groups to manufacture explosives and build tunnels in critical areas. The relationship between Hezbollah and cartels like Los Zetas is evident. Asset laundering, refined by terrorism, enables drug traffickers to finance their global networks. The assassination of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci in Colombia in May 2022 underscores the extent of the problem, leading the U.S. to request the extradition of individuals associated with Hezbollah.
In 2021, Adalberto Fructuoso Comparán Rodríguez, former mayor of Aguillila, Michoacán, was arrested in Guatemala and extradited to the U.S. for trafficking 550 kilos of methamphetamine. During his detention, he confessed that the drugs came from laboratories controlled by Hezbollah. This cargo, which contained Captagon, a methamphetamine produced in the Syrian Bekaa Valley, has become another source of income for Hezbollah. Comparán Rodríguez made contact with terrorists in Cali, Colombia.
Adalberto Fructuoso Comparán Rodríguez
The arrest of Colombian-Lebanese Ayman Joumaa highlighted Hezbollah's collaboration with production zones in Colombia. Investigations revealed that Joumaa maintained contact with Hezbollah members and used their money laundering network, with hundreds of millions of dollars laundered and his involvement in drug trafficking from Colombia and Venezuela to Mexico and the U.S.
The relationship between Chavismo and its Cartel del Sol with the Colombian FARC has led to allegations that Hezbollah assists in obtaining weapons and laundering assets in exchange for protection on trafficking routes. In Operation Cassandra, launched by the U.S. in 2008, drug trafficking networks were infiltrated, identifying 22 figures linked to Islamic terrorism and Iran. Among others, "La Oficina", a cartel dedicated to money laundering for the Cali Cartel, was dismantled, with connections to Hezbollah through Lebanese figures like Mohamed Ahmad Ammar and Ghassan Diab. This operation demonstrated the existence of an extensive network of high-ranking complicities, identifying Hezbollah groups in seven countries and a circuit that raised $1 billion annually to finance terrorism.
Udy Levy, a former Mossad agent in Ecuador, delved into the links between high officials, drug trafficking, and Hezbollah. In 2022, he had to leave Ecuador due to the risks of exposing local figures in the scheme.
In Paraguay, the presence of Hezbollah in the Triple Frontier has raised suspicions of broader complicities. This led the U.S. DEA and OFAC to sanction former president Horacio Cartés for his ties to the terrorist group's financial network. The sanctions also reached his former vice president, Hugo Velázquez, who was investigated for his relationship with Hezbollah cleric Ali Hijzi.
In 2017, Assad Barakat, Hezbollah's financial chief in the Triple Frontier, was arrested, key to unraveling the businesses connecting companies in Argentina, Chile, Lebanon, and the U.S.
To date, Hezbollah's presence has been evidenced in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, Chile, and Paraguay. Although a large part of the population and area of the continent has been covered, more states are still lacking. Moshen Rabbani, before fleeing to Venezuela, established his regional network. His disciple Edgardo Assad, an Argentinian-Lebanese, leads the Iranian-Latin American Cultural Exchange Center in Chile, which organizes tours for social and political figures to Iran, promoting the principles of the Islamic Revolution. This center receives coverage from HispanTV, a network funded by Iran, and has dedicated programs to Assad's ideology.
Another disciple of Rabbani, Aubrey Michael Seaforth, known as "Abdul Kadir", was arrested in 2007 for planning a Hezbollah attack against JFK airport in New York. In 2017, Dino Bouterse, son of the former president of Suriname, was convicted of conspiring with Hezbollah and Iran to attack U.S. interests.
The link of Assad in Chile has been associated with Edwar Quiroga Vargas, a Peruvian politician connected to Iran, who founded the "Inkarri Islam" group. Quiroga Vargas seeks to expand his influence in the coca-producing area of Peru and Bolivia, supporting Movadef, an organization associated with Shining Path.
Hezbollah’s presence in Peru is not new. Muhamad Ghaleb Hamdar, a Lebanese who entered the country with a false passport in 2014, was arrested on terrorism charges, confessing to being part of Hezbollah. Weapons and photographs of potential targets of the terrorist group were found at his home, but the case was annulled due to procedural errors.
Here we share a current case of drug trafficking by the North American Department of Justice showing how Maduro’s regime supported these activities.
Iran's intention to expand its influence in the Andean region was strengthened with President Arce's government in Bolivia. After signing a mutual defense agreement with Tehran, Bolivia broke diplomatic relations with Israel. A cable from the Argentine embassy in Iran indicated the massive issuance of passports to Iranian citizens by Bolivian ambassador Romina Pérez.
The agreement signed between the Bolivian defense minister and his Iranian counterpart includes the transfer of technology for cybersecurity and the supply of drones and military boats from Iran. This pact relates to a similar agreement signed by Venezuela, consolidating a collaborative axis among these three countries.
Iran's diplomacy and propaganda have exploited anti-Semitic sentiments among parts of the Latin American population, facilitating its recruitment and collaboration. This reality raises disturbing conclusions: Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has consolidated its presence in the region for over four decades and woven a network of economic and political complicity with local actors.
The resurgence of anti-Semitism worldwide reinforces recruitment and collaboration with Hezbollah. This phenomenon also provides them with political allies. In societies where anti-Jewish discourse prevails, collaboration with Hezbollah may be favored or penalized depending on the political context.
The involvement of local groups was crucial in the AMIA bombing and the attack on the Israeli Embassy in 1992. Hezbollah's threat can manifest in various forms; it is not limited to individuals with turbans or typically Palestinian clothing. America, from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska, is a potential field where Iran can continue its offensive against Israel, especially when it is constrained in the Middle East.
The arrest of Hezbollah cells in Brazil is an alarming symptom of its growing presence in the region. The Jewish community in Latin America, with 350,000 members, and the 6 million in the U.S. are potential targets for terrorist attacks. Iran has already perpetrated attacks in Argentina, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries. History shows that it is willing to use its pawns to attack where opportunities arise.
The warning is clear: Hezbollah is already among us, strengthening itself with those who share its hatred. The evidence is compelling, and the reality is that when bombs explode, they do not discriminate. They affect everyone, even those who believe they are not part of any side.
Conclusion
Hezbollah's situation in Latin America is alarming and complex. The terrorist organization, backed by the Venezuelan regime and supported by Iran, has consolidated its presence in the region through a network of alliances and criminal activities. The combination of recruitment, money laundering, and drug trafficking, along with political and economic influence, strengthens not only Hezbollah but also local criminal groups. International vigilance is essential to counter this growing threat, which not only affects the Jewish community in the region but also poses a risk to the overall stability of Latin America and global security.
Credits for Information:
Semana - Colombian magazine that has covered issues related to organized crime and Hezbollah in Latin America.
The Center for a Secure Free Society - Organization that has researched and published reports on Hezbollah's influence and illicit networks in Latin America.
U.S. Department of Treasury (OFAC) - Sources of sanctions and designations of terrorists related to Hezbollah and its ties in the region.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Information on individuals of interest linked to Hezbollah.
Bloomberg - Reports on the economic situation in Venezuela and resource exchange operations with Iran.
Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Official documents and statements on Venezuelan foreign policy regarding Iran and Hezbollah.
Infobae - Articles on politics and organized crime in Venezuela, including interviews with sources close to Tareck El Aissami.
Other reports and academic studies - Various investigations that examine the intersection of organized crime and terrorism in Latin America.
Hezbollah has already arrived in Latin America.
By Ignacio Montes de Oca.
Reports from various intelligence sources and media.
Jesús Daniel Romero became an officer through the Navy Enlisted Program, graduating with honors from Norfolk State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. He later graduated from the Naval Aviation Pre-Flight indoctrination course at the Naval Aviation School Command and continued intermediate training with squadrons VT-10 and VT-86. He served aboard a nuclear missile cruiser, amphibious operations ships, and a fixed-wing attack bombing squadron, and he was deployed to Libya, Bosnia, Iraq, and Somalia. He served tours with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Panama, the Joint Intelligence Center in the Pacific in Hawaii, and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command.
Jesús and his team successfully attacked an international criminal organization operating in multiple countries and in the United States, dismantling and interrupting criminal activities on behalf of Mexican cartels.
William L. Acosta is the founder and CEO of Equalizer Private Investigations & Security Services Inc. A licensed investigation agency linked in NYS, FL. With offices and affiliates worldwide.
Equalizer maintains offices and affiliates in the United States in New York, Florida, and California. Since 1999, Equalizer's investigations have successfully closed hundreds of cases ranging from homicides, missing persons, and other crimes.
He has been involved in the criminal defense of hundreds of state and federal criminal defense cases ranging from homicide, narcotics, racketeering, money laundering, conspiracy, and other federal and state charges.
He specializes in international and multijurisdictional investigations and in recent years, has conducted investigations in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, England, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, among other locations.
He has directed or coordinated hundreds of investigations related to international drug trafficking, money laundering, and homicides; and has been an instructor and speaker internationally on various investigative topics.
Specialties: Criminal Defense Investigations, International Investigations, Homicides, Narcotics Undercover Operations, Investigations, Asset Forfeiture Investigations, Conspiracy, International Human Trafficking, Surveillance, International Terrorism, Intelligence, Technical Surveillance Countermeasures, Internal Affairs Investigations, National Security.
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