US seeks info on 'Hezbollah financial network' in South America

The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program on Monday announced a reward of up to $10 million for information on “Hezbollah financial networks in South America.”

“Hezbollah has maintained a presence in the Western Hemisphere since the 1980s, particularly in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” RFJ said.

“The group is responsible for carrying out terrorist attacks in the Western Hemisphere, including the July 18, 1994 bombing of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Aid Society. Hezbollah was also implicated, along with Iran, in the 1992 attacks on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina as well as the 1994 bombing of Alas Chiricanas flight 00901 in Colón, Panama,” it added.

The statement claimed that “in the TBA, Hezbollah members, supporters, and facilitators are involved in large-scale revenue-generating schemes, including trade-based money laundering, narcotics trafficking, charcoal and oil smuggling, illicit diamond trade, bulk cash smuggling, smuggling of cigarettes and luxury goods, document forgery, and the counterfeiting of U.S. dollars.”

“They also generate revenue from commercial activities across Latin America, including construction, import/export trade, and real estate sales,” it added.