two arrests in Brazil reveal possible connection between Lebanese militia and South American organized crime

If Hezbollah today seems reluctant to participate in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, this war has recently highlighted the activities of the Shiite movement in a region of the world that we did not necessarily suspect, Latin America.

After the arrest in Brazil of two individuals suspected of preparing attacks against synagogues, concern immediately raised fears for the worst with this question: could the Middle East conflict spread to South America? Until now, this question has always been a fantasy, to the extent that historically this part of the world is one of the most spared from terrorist acts. Furthermore, Hezbollah’s involvement has never been clearly proven in past incidents.

In Panama in 1994, when an attack was foiled against a civilian plane, Hezbollah’s involvement was suspected but not confirmed. In Peru in 2014, in Chile in 2020, in Colombia in 2021, various terrorist acts left several injured. Here again, Hezbollah is suspected, but at no time have the authorities of the countries concerned managed to establish the guilt of the Lebanese Shiite movement. In 1992 and 1994, the Jewish community of Buenos Aires was hit by two bomb attacks which killed 29 and 85 respectively, with hundreds injured. In both cases, the Argentine justice system proved incapable, despite lengthy investigations, of indicting those responsible for the attacks.

More Lebanese in Brazil than in Lebanon

If Hezbollah’s terrorist action in South America has never been proven, its presence is no secret. For several decades, it has been clearly proven that the Lebanese Shiite movement has established its rear base in Latin America, relying on an important human network linked to the Middle East. Brazil has 7 to 10 million Lebanese expatriates, making it one of the largest diasporas in the world, and Chile has the largest community of Palestinian immigrants. But the links are also political, Hezbollah indeed finds regimes with which it shares common interests, such as with Maduro’s Venezuela.

On this community basis, Hezbollah developed other activities. Numerous reports from the American Department of Justice, as well as Israeli intelligence, are clear on this point: South America is at the center of Hezbollah’s financing activities. Two areas have been identified: the Colombia-Venezuela border and the triple border sector between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.

Activities, funding, recruitment

This area is one of the hotspots for global drug trafficking, according to political scientist Emanuele Ottolenghi, interviewed on an Argentine online television channel. It is there, according to him, that Hezbollah secures a large part of its income: “He is at the head of a very powerful infrastructure, through which several billion euros are laundered each year. Of this money, 10 to 15% falls into the coffers of the armed wing of Hezbollah to finance its terrorist actions. So it’s a network that has been strengthened over several decades and is at the heart of financing Hezbollah’s activities in the Middle East.”

There are therefore little or no proven actions by Lebanese Hezbollah in South American countries. There wouldn’t really be any interest, however a large part of its resources are there. Money from the laundering of drug trafficking, training bases, training, but also recruitment, as indicated in the minutes of the hearing of Brazilian suspects recently arrested.