Mohamed Abrini, a U.S.-sanctioned suspect in both the Brussels bombings and Paris attacks, was arrested by Belgian authorities on April 8, 2016. News reports quoted unnamed Belgian security officials as saying that Abrini, a 31-year-old Belgian, was the “man in the hat” captured on security cameras at Zaventem airport on March 22, 2016 with two suicide bombers.Umberto Bacchi, “Europe’s most wanted: Mafia boss and Islamist attacker in EU’s top fugitives list,” International Business Times, January 29, 2016, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/europes-most-wanted-mafia-boss-islamist-attacker-eus-top-fugitives-list-1540868;
“Paris attacks suspect Abrini arrested: Belgian broadcaster VRT,” Reuters, April 8, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-abrini-arrest-idUSKCN0X51QK?utm_source=twitter. Following arrest, Abrini reportedly admitted to being the “man in the hat” captured on CCTV as well as the third would-be bomber in the Zaventem airport attack who fled before detonating his device. Abrini also reportedly admitted that the ISIS assailants had originally planned to target departure halls for the United States, Israel, and Russia.Jane Onyanga-Omara and Oren Dorell, “Report: Brussels attack targeted travelers to U.S., Russia, Israel,” USA Today, April 14, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/04/14/report-brussels-attack-targeted-travelers-us-russia-israel/83023974/.

Abrini was arrested alongside fellow suspects Osama Krayem, Herve BN, and Bilal EM. While in custody, Abrini has admitted that ISIS was originally planning to launch another attack on France, but that the group changed its target to Belgium following that country’s March 18, 2016, arrest of ISIS gunman Salah Abdeslam.“Brussels group ‘initially planned to hit France,’” BBC News, April 10, 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36009196.

Abrini has links not only to the Belgium attacks, but the November 13, 2015, ISIS attacks in Paris. On November 11, 2015, Abrini was filmed in a gas station with “childhood friend” and Paris attacks suspect, Salah Abdeslam.Tom Whitehead, Henry Samuel and Peter Foster, “Brussels attacks: who are the likely terror suspects behind the attack?” Telegraph (London), March 24, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/12200965/Brussels-explosions-who-are-the-likely-terror-suspects-behind-the-attack.html. Abrini drove with Abdeslam in a Renault Clio that was ultimately used during the Paris attacks. Two days later, Abdeslam participated in the deadly ISIS attacks. According to the Belgian prosecutor’s office, Abdeslam had intended to detonate a suicide bomb near France’s national sports stadium north of Paris but ultimately backed out.Alastair MacDonald and John Irish, “'I was a suicide bomber': Paris suspect charged in Belgium,” Reuters, March 20, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-abdeslam-idUSKCN0WK1KB. Abdeslam was captured by Belgian police in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek on March 18, 2016.“Salah Abdeslam arrêté à Molenbeek, les opérations toujours en cours (direct vidéo),” Le Soir (Brussels), March 18, 2016, http://www.lesoir.be/1155105/article/actualite/belgique/2016-03-18/salah-abdeslam-arrete-molenbeek-operations-toujours-en-cours-direct-video.

Abrini grew up in now infamous Molenbeek, home to Salah Abdeslam, Abdeslam’s brother and fellow Paris attacker Ibrahim, as well as alleged attacks coordinator Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Molenbeek is considered a hotbed of extremism, a major producer of foreign fighters to Syria, and a destination for obtaining illegal weaponry. The neighborhood is associated with an impressive roster of violent extremists, including suspected August 2015 train assailant Ayoub El Khazzani and May 2014 Brussels Jewish Museum shooter Mehdi Nemmouche.Liam Stack, “How Belgium Became Home to Recent Terror Plots,” New York Times, November 15, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/11/15/world/europe/belgium-terrorism-suspects.html; Tim Hume, “Brussels raids: Police hit Molenbeek, area at heart of Belgium's jihadist threat,” CNN, November 16, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/15/europe/paris-attacks-belgium-molenbeek/.

Abrini is a former drug dealer and reportedly was imprisoned on charges of petty crimes and robberies.Umberto Bacchi, “Manhunt for last Isis Paris attacks fugitives: Who are Najim Laachraoui and Mohamed Abrini?” International Business Times, March 21, 2016, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/manhunt-last-isis-paris-attacks-fugitives-who-are-najim-laachraoui-mohamed-abrini-1550800; Tom Whitehead, Henry Samuel and Peter Foster, “Brussels attacks: who are the likely terror suspects behind the attack?” Telegraph (London), March 24, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/12200965/Brussels-explosions-who-are-the-likely-terror-suspects-behind-the-attack.html. He is believed to have traveled to Syria at some point in 2015.Tom Whitehead, Henry Samuel and Peter Foster, “Brussels attacks: who are the likely terror suspects behind the attack?” Telegraph (London), March 24, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/12200965/Brussels-explosions-who-are-the-likely-terror-suspects-behind-the-attack.html.

• Mohammad Abrini“Counter Terroism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, August 3, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20160803.aspx.
• Mohammed Abrini“Counter Terroism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, August 3, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20160803.aspx.

Lebanese-Colombian national Ali Mohamad Saleh is a U.S.-designated terrorist and Hezbollah financier. According to the U.S. government, Saleh has directed and coordinated Hezbollah activity in Colombia, where he launders money in order to finance the terror group. He has reportedly led a Hezbollah “support cell” in Maicao, Colombia, which solicits donations for Hezbollah and coordinates the transfer of funds to Lebanon via Venezuela. Saleh maintains communication with suspected Hezbollah operatives in Venezuela, Germany, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia.“Treasury Targets Major Money Laundering Network Linked to Drug Trafficker Ayman Joumaa and a Key Hizballah Supporter in South America,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 27, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1624.aspx;
Jamie Crawford, “U.S. targets terrorist fundraisers in South America,” CNN, June 27, 2012, http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/27/u-s-targets-terrorist-fundraisers-in-south-america/;
Samuel Rubenfeld, “Treasury Targets Drug-Money Laundering Network, Hezbollah Fundraiser,” Wall Street Journal, June 27, 2012, http://blogs.wsj.com/corruption-currents/2012/06/27/treasury-targets-drug-money-laundering-network-hezbollah-fundraiser/.

The U.S. Treasury designated Saleh as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on June 27, 2012, for providing financial support to Hezbollah. The U.S. previously sanctioned Saleh on December 29, 2011, under the Kingpin Act, a federal law that targets the financial networks of narcotics traffickers. The designation came as a result of Saleh’s reported role as a money launderer for the “Cheaitelly/El Khansaan” criminal organization, associated with a Hezbollah-linked drug network.“Treasury Targets Major Money Laundering Network Linked to Drug Trafficker Ayman Joumaa and a Key Hizballah Supporter in South America,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 27, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1624.aspx;
Jamie Crawford, “U.S. targets terrorist fundraisers in South America,” CNN, June 27, 2012, http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/27/u-s-targets-terrorist-fundraisers-in-south-america/;
Samuel Rubenfeld, “Treasury Targets Drug-Money Laundering Network, Hezbollah Fundraiser,” Wall Street Journal, June 27, 2012, http://blogs.wsj.com/corruption-currents/2012/06/27/treasury-targets-drug-money-laundering-network-hezbollah-fundraiser/.

United States

December 29, 2011
The U.S. Treasury designated “Ali Mohamad Saleh” under the Kingpin Act for his role as a money launderer for a criminal organization.“Treasury Targets Major Money Laundering Network Linked to Drug Trafficker Ayman Joumaa and a Key Hizballah Supporter in South America,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 27, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1624.aspx.

United States

June 27, 2012

The U.S. Treasury designated “Ali Mohamad Saleh” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Executive order 13224.“Treasury Targets Major Money Laundering Network Linked to Drug Trafficker Ayman Joumaa and a Key Hizballah Supporter in South America,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 27, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1624.aspx.

• Ali Abd-Al-Amir Muhammad Salih
• Ali Mohamed Saleh
• Ali Mohammad Salah
• Ali Mohammad Saleh
• Ali Muhammad Abd-Al-Amir Salih
• Ali Muhammad Salih“Treasury Targets Major Money Laundering Network Linked to Drug Trafficker Ayman Joumaa and a Key Hizballah Supporter in South America,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 27, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1624.aspx.

Fadi Hassan Nabha is a former Hezbollah member who was arrested in Brazil on drug-related charges on July 29, 2016. Though Nabha was not arrested on terrorism-related charges, his arrest was reportedly part of a crackdown on Brazilian suspects with links to terrorism in anticipation of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.“Brazil Nabs Former Hezbollah Member Wanted for Drug Trafficking,” Reuters, July 29, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-security-idUSKCN1091V5.

Nabha had been on the Interpol wanted list for drug trafficking since 2013. Upon his July 2016 arrest in the Sao Paulo suburb of Caieiras, Nabha told Brazilian police that he had served in Hezbollah’s Special Forces unit for two years, where he had acquired weapons and explosives training.“Brazil Nabs Former Hezbollah Member Wanted for Drug Trafficking,” Reuters, July 29, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-security-idUSKCN1091V5.

Adam al-Herz is an American citizen and convicted arms smuggler accused of supplying weapons to Hezbollah.Trish Mehaffey, “Family members sentenced in gun smuggling,” The Gazette (Cedar Rapids), October 14, 2016, http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/cedar-rapids-man-sentenced-for-helping-smuggle-guns-to-lebanon-20161014. In March 2016, Herz pled guilty to firearms conspiracy, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and violation of the Arms Export Control Act.“Three Plead Guilty In Connection With Scheme To Unlawfully Ship Firearms to Lebanon,” U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Iowa, March 11, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/three-plead-guilty-connection-scheme-unlawfully-ship-firearms-lebanon. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in July 2016 for attempting to illegally ship firearms and ammunition to Beirut, Lebanon.“Four Persons Charged with Conspiracy to Unlawfully Ship Arms to Lebanon,” U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Iowa, May 12, 2015, https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/omaha/news/press-releases/four-persons-charged-with-conspiracy-to-unlawfully-ship-firearms-to-lebanon.

In May 2015, Herz was arrested alongside two family members, his father Ali Afif al-Herz, and his aunt, Sarah Majid Zeaiter. In court testimony, U.S. Assistant Attorney Richard Murphy accused Ali Afif al-Herz of being a Hezbollah sympathizer.Grant Rodgers, “Gun smuggling suspect had ties to Hezbollah, agent says,” Des Moines Register, May 16, 2015, http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2015/05/15/suspected-gun-smugglers-lebanon/27370071/. Herz’s uncle, Bassem Afif Herz, was also later arrested. All four pled guilty to firearms offences. All are U.S. citizens apart from Zeaiter, who is a U.S. permanent resident.Grant Rodgers, “Cedar Rapids family accused of smuggling guns to Lebanon,” Des Moines Register, May 13, 2015, http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2015/05/12/cedar-rapids-family-linked-lebanese-gun-shipments/27180565/.

The four individuals legally acquired approximately 252 firearms from gun stores and gun shows in eastern Ohio over a span of 17 months.Trish Mehaffey, “Family members sentenced in gun smuggling,” The Gazette (Cedar Rapids), October 14, 2016, http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/cedar-rapids-man-sentenced-for-helping-smuggle-guns-to-lebanon-20161014. Between about August 2014 to May 2015, the family sent at least three shipping containers—containing firearms concealed inside Bobcat-labeled containers—from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with the intended destination of Beirut, Lebanon. After apparently successfully sending the first container to Beirut, the second and third containers were intercepted by U.S. authorities.Trish Mehaffey, “Family members sentenced in gun smuggling,” The Gazette (Cedar Rapids), October 14, 2016, http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/cedar-rapids-man-sentenced-for-helping-smuggle-guns-to-lebanon-20161014.

Herz’s aunt, Sarah Zeaiter, received seven years for her part in the smuggling scheme. Bassem Afif Herz and Ali Afif al-Herz await sentencing.Trish Mehaffey, “Family members sentenced in gun smuggling,” The Gazette (Cedar Rapids), October 14, 2016, http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/cedar-rapids-man-sentenced-for-helping-smuggle-guns-to-lebanon-20161014.

• Adam Ben Ali Al Herz“Four Persons Charged with Conspiracy to Unlawfully Ship Arms to Lebanon,” U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Iowa, May 12, 2015, https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/omaha/news/press-releases/four-persons-charged-with-conspiracy-to-unlawfully-ship-firearms-to-lebanon.

Iranian-born Mustafa Mughniyeh is a U.S.-designated Hezbollah commander based in Lebanon. He previously oversaw Hezbollah’s operations in the Golan Heights, where he helped organize the group’s “infrastructure,” according to the U.S. Department of State.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” U.S. Department of State, January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm. Mughniyeh was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on January 9, 2016, alongside fellow Hezbollah operative Ali Damush.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” U.S. Department of State, January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm.

Mughniyeh has extensive family ties to Hezbollah. He is the nephew of Mustafa Badreddine, the late Hezbollah military commander who oversaw the group’s external operations—including the launching of attacks on Israel from the West Bank and Gaza, and attacking Sunni forces in Iraq. Badreddine is believed to have been targeted and killed in a January 2015 Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah members in Syria.U.S. Department of State, “State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm;
Ronen Bergman, “The Hezbollah Connection,” New York Times, February 10, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/the-hezbollah-connection.html?_r=0.

Mughnieyh is the son of late Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh who, according to the Associated Press, was killed in a 2008 car bombing in Damascus attributed to Israel. Mustafa Mughnieyh’s brother was believed to be Jihad Mughniyeh, who was killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Quneitra, Syria, in 2015. At the time, Jihad Mughniyeh was reportedly Hezbollah’s commander in the Syrian Golan Heights.U.S. Department of State, “State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm;
Associated Press, “US adds 2 members of Hezbollah to terrorism list,” Ynet News, January 10, 2017, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4905498,00.html.

United States

The U.S. State Department designated “Mustafa Mughniyeh” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13324 on January 9, 2017.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” U.S. Department of State, January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm.

• Mustafa MughniyahU.S. Department of State, “State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm.

Ali Damush is a U.S.-designated Hezbollah operative and a senior aid to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Damush also leads Hezbollah’s Foreign Relations Department, which partakes in terrorist operations internationally, including the recruitment of terrorist operatives and the gathering of intelligence. The U.S. State Department designated Damush as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on January 9, 2016, alongside fellow Hezbollah operative Mustafa Mughniyeh.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” U.S. Department of State, January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm.

United States

The U.S. State Department designated “Ali Damush” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13324 on January 9, 2017.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” U.S. Department of State, January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm.

• Ali Daghmoush
• Ali Dagmoush
• Ali Daamoush
• Ali Dagmush
• Shiekh Ali Musa Da’amoush“State Department Terrorist Designations of Ali Damush and Mustafa Mughniyeh,” U.S. Department of State, January 9, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266729.htm.

Hassan Nasrallah is the secretary-general of the Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah, and an important figure in Lebanese politics.Guy Raz, “Hassan Nasrallah: Mideast Man of the Minute,” National Public Radio, July 18, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5566717. Although Nasrallah does not hold official office in Lebanon, terrorism expert Walid Phares asserted, “[Nasrallah is] seen as a messianic figure, much higher than any official in Lebanon.”Eben Kaplan, “Profile: Hassan Nasrallah,” Council on Foreign Relations, August 11, 2010, http://www.cfr.org/lebanon/profile-hassan-nasrallah/p11132. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Nasrallah has shaped Hezbollah into the dominant political power in Lebanon and is the “driving force” behind the group’s military operations.​Eben Kaplan, “Profile: Hassan Nasrallah,” Council on Foreign Relations, August 11, 2010, http://www.cfr.org/lebanon/profile-hassan-nasrallah/p11132.

Nasrallah assumed leadership of Hezbollah in 1992 after Israel assassinated his predecessor, co-founder of the group Abbas Musawi.Guy Raz, “Hassan Nasrallah: Mideast Man of the Minute,” National Public Radio, July 18, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5566717. Under Nasrallah’s leadership, Hezbollah has assumed many state functions in Lebanon’s Shiite-majority south by providing a social welfare network, schools, housing, and other services. These activities have boosted Hezbollah’s and Nasrallah’s popularity.Guy Raz, “Hassan Nasrallah: Mideast Man of the Minute,” National Public Radio, July 18, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5566717.

Many in the Middle East view Nasrallah as a heroic figure for appearing to successfully stand up to Israel.Ronen Bergman, “The Fall of Hezbollah’s Leader,” Bloomberg Business, June 24, 2013, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-06-24/the-fall-of-hezbollah-s-leader. Hezbollah claimed credit for forcing Israel to end its 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000.Marjorie Miller, John Daniszewski, and Tracy Wilkinson, “Israel leaves South Lebanon after 22 years,” Los Angeles Times, May 24, 2000, http://articles.latimes.com/2000/may/24/news/mn-33497. According to National Public Radio’s Guy Raz, “Nasrallah is seen as a hero [throughout the Arab world] — a leader capable of inflicting pain on Israel.”Guy Raz, “Hassan Nasrallah: Mideast Man of the Minute,” National Public Radio, July 18, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5566717. However, Nasrallah’s popularity in Lebanon has suffered since 2012 as a result of Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian civil war.“Hezbollah Promises Syria ‘Victory,’” BBC News, May 25, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22669230.

Iran and Hezbollah have maintained strong ties under Nasrallah’s leadership, with Iran providing Hezbollah with financial and military support.Anoushiravan Ehteshami, “The Foreign Policy of Iran,” in The Foreign Policies of Middle East States (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002), 298; Jonathan Masters and Zachary Laub, “Hezbollah (a.k.a. Hizbollah, Hizbu’llah),” Council on Foreign Relations, January 3, 2014, http://www.cfr.org/lebanon/hezbollah-k-hizbollah-hizbullah/p9155. In September 2012, Nasrallah pledged to attack Israel if it or the U.S. attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities.Rana Muhammad Taha, “Nasrallah Threatens US on Behalf of Iran,” Daily News Egypt, September 4, 2012, http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2012/09/04/hezbollah-if-attacked-iran-could-attack-us-bases/.

United States

The Department of the Treasury designated Hasan Nasrallah a Specially Designated Terrorist under Executive Order 12947 in January 1995. The designation blocked all property and financial transactions in the U.S.“Treasury Targets Hizballah for Supporting the Assad Regime,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, August 10, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1676.aspx.

The Department of the Treasury designated Hasan Nasrallah on September 13, 2012, under Executive Order 13582 for providing support to the Syrian government. The designation called for the seizure of all assets of anybody in the U.S. doing business with the Syrian government.“Treasury Designates Hizballah Leadership,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 13, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1709.aspx.

• Hasan Abd-al-Karim“Treasury Targets Hizballah for Supporting the Assad Regime,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, August 10, 2012, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1676.aspx.

Ali Kourani is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon who allegedly plotted on behalf of Hezbollah against U.S. government and military targets in New York City. According to the FBI, Kourani received training in Lebanon from Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), the group’s division responsible for overseas operations. The FBI arrested Kourani in Bronx, New York, on June 1, 2017.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

In 2000, Kourani allegedly attended a 45-day Hezbollah training camp in Lebanon when he was approximately 16 years old. He allegedly learned to use AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Kourani told the FBI that he was allowed to attend because he was related to a high-ranking Hezbollah official. Kourani also allegedly told the FBI that one of his brothers is “the face” of Hezbollah in the Lebanese village of Yatar, and that his family name is akin to the “Bin Ladens of Lebanon.” He traveled to the United States in 2003 using his Lebanese passport but returned to Lebanon soon after. Kourani fled to Syria during the summer 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and then returned to the United States.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 10-11, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

The IJO purportedly recruited Kourani in early 2008. Kourani told the FBI that he believes the IJO recruited him because of his education and U.S. residency in order to use him as a sleeper agent.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10-11, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. According to the federal complaint against him, Kourani allegedly met with multiple members of the IJO in Lebanon during his interview process. Kourani was allegedly assigned a handler known alternatively as “Fadi” or “Hajj,” who instructed Kourani to obtain U.S. citizenship.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 12, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. After Kourani returned to the United States, he and Fadi would communicate over e-mail using coded messages, according to the criminal complaint against Kourani.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 15-16, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. The FBI noted that Kourani’s passport showed that he traveled to Lebanon at least once a year between 2008 and 2015.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. Fadi purportedly worked with Kourani until September 2015.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 12, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

Kourani returned to the United States later in January 2008.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 12, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. That August, he applied for U.S. citizenship, which he received the following April.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic. Kourani wrote in his naturalization request that he had never belonged to or had any association with a terrorist organization or ever lied on immigration forms, which the U.S. Department of Justice would later use to charge him with naturalization fraud.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 13, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. Within a week after receiving his citizenship, Kourani received a U.S. passport. That May, Kourani traveled to Guangzhou, China, where he allegedly visited a manufacturer of ammonium nitrate-based First Aid ice packs. The IJO has used these ice packs in terrorist operations, according to the FBI.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 13-14, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

Kourani returned to Lebanon in July 2011 for weapons training at Hezbollah camps. According to information he gave the FBI, Kourani trained with rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, an MP5 submachine gun, a PKS machine gun, and a Glock pistol.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 17-18, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. Fadi allegedly ordered Kourani to survey potential government and military targets in New York City. These included FBI offices in Manhattan, a U.S. Army National Guard facility in Manhattan, a U.S. Secret Service facility in Brooklyn, and a U.S. Army Armory facility in Manhattan.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 18, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

Fadi also allegedly directed Kourani to surveil New York airports and to cultivate contacts who could supply weaponry. Kourani also collected intelligence on former members of the Israel Defense Forces living in New York, according to the criminal complaint.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 19, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. The FBI alleges that Kourani used Google Maps to examine terminals at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and visited the websites of weapons retailers in search of body armor, uniforms, guns, and tactical equipment.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 20, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

The FBI further alleges that between January and May 2009 Kourani conducted several Internet searches on the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, as well as Al-Manar, Hezbollah’s U.S.-sanctioned media arm. In January 2013, Kourani allegedly searched online for the phrase “if Hizballah was defeated,” which led him to an Al-Manar propaganda video featuring Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Kourani later searched the names of Hezbollah operatives who had carried out international acts of terrorism.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 14-15, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

Fadi allegedly asked Kourani if he could obtain employment at the Department of Motor Vehicles, but Kourani believe that would draw suspicion because of his educational background.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 19, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. While allegedly working on behalf of Hezbollah, Kourani earned an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and a master’s of business administration.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. According to Kourani’s LinkedIn page, he received his engineering degree from City College of New York in 2009 and his MBA from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School in 2013.Ali Kourani LinkedIn page, accessed June 14, 2017, https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-kourani-5b7820b/.

After finishing graduate school, Kourani worked at Metro PCS stores in Chicago, New York, and Greenbay, Wisconsin, according to his LinkedIn page. In March 2017, he took a position in New York City as an analyst with Integreon, an international legal and business research service.Ali Kourani LinkedIn page, accessed June 14, 2017, https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-kourani-5b7820b/.

Kourani claims the IJO deactivated him in September 2015.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice May 31, 2017, 12, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. According to the criminal complaint against him, Kourani met with the FBI several times in 2016 and 2017 for a series of interviews during which he identified himself as an undercover Hezbollah sleeper agent. Kourani allegedly agreed to the interviews in the hope of obtaining immigration benefits for his family, though the FBI denies such an arrangement.“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 7, 11, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download. Based on the information Kourani provided, the FBI arrested him in Bronx, New York, on June 1, 2017.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

Kourani has been charged with:

• providing material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization
• receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to possess, carry, and use firearms and destructive devices during and in relation to crimes of violence
• makingand receiving a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hezbollah, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)
• conspiracy to makeand receive a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hezbollah, in violation of IEEPA
• naturalization fraud in connection with an act of international terrorism.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

If convicted, Kourani faces up to life in prison.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

• Ali Mohamad Kourani“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 1, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.
• Daniel“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 1, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.
• Jacob Lewis“United States of America v. Ali Kourani,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 1, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972421/download.

Samer El Debek is a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Dearborn, Michigan, who allegedly plotted on behalf of Hezbollah against U.S., Israeli, and Panamanian targets in New York City and Panama. The U.S. Department of Justice did not identify where El Debek emigrated from, but he holds a Lebanese passport in addition to his U.S. passport.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. The FBI arrested El Debek on terrorism-related charges on June 1, 2017.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

The FBI alleges that El Debek belonged to Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), responsible for Hezbollah’s intelligence and terrorist activities outside of Lebanon. According to the FBI, El Debek was looking for potential terrorist targets in Panama and New York City on behalf of the IJO.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

In July 2006, El Debek purportedly praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an e-mail he sent to his private account from his work account. The FBI alleges that the IJO recruited El Debek in late 2007 or early 2008.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. During interviews prior to his arrest, El Debek told the FBI that he suspected Hezbollah recruited him because of his U.S. passport, though he did not know specifically why he had been recruited.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. El Debek said that between 2008 and 2015, Hezbollah paid him more than $1,000 per month plus medical expenses.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 18, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

In 2008, El Debek traveled to Lebanon to attend Hezbollah training camps.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. Between 2008 and 2014, El Debek allegedly received religious and militant training that included surveillance and bomb-making techniques and how to use automatic assault rifles, according to the FBI.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. In May 2009, El Debek traveled to Thailand to remove evidence of a Hezbollah cell from a compromised safe house.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic. El Debek traveled from Lebanon to Malaysia using his Lebanese passport and then to Thailand using his U.S. passport.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 13, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. According to El Debek’s account, he removed 50 boxes of ammonium nitrate from the house. “United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

In 2011, El Debek traveled to Panama to locate the U.S. and Israeli embassies, and identify hardware stores from which to purchase explosive materials such as acetone and battery acid. El Debek also told the FBI that he learned how to drive in Panama and took Spanish lessons.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 14, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. El Debek allegedly returned to Panama in early 2012 to identify weaknesses in the Panama Canal.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

Between December 2015 and April 2016, Hezbollah allegedly detained El Debek in Lebanon on suspicion that he was a spy for the United States.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic. El Debek claimed during his FBI interviews that Hezbollah suspected him of being a spy before they sent him on his international missions. El Debek claimed he gave Hezbollah a false confession that he worked for the FBI, CIA, and police. El Debek further claimed that the U.S. government had paid him $500,000.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 18, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

The Justice Department did not reveal how El Debek escaped Hezbollah’s custody. Between September 8, 2016, and May 23, 2017, the FBI interviewed El Debek several times over the phone and in person.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 9, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. During his interviews, El Debek identified Mohamed Husseini, the Hezbollah bomber who blew up an Israeli tour bus in Bulgaria in 2012, as a distant relative.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 11, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download. El Debek described his recruitment, training and missions to the FBI. He also told the FBI that unlike ISIS, Hezbollah doesn’t kill indiscriminately. He said that Hezbollah’s violent actions are sometimes meant to send a political message, but that Israelis are always a target.“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, 10, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.

The FBI arrested El Debek in Livonia, Michigan, on June 1, 2017. Authorities brought him to New York City, where he was formally charged in federal court on June 5.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

El Debek has been charged with:

• providing material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization
• receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization
• conspiracy to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization
• possessing, carrying, and using firearms and destructive devices during and in relation to crimes of violence
• making and receiving a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hezbollah
• conspiracy to make and receive a contribution of funds, goods, and services to and from Hezbollah.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

If convicted, El Debek faces up to life in prison.“Bronx Man And Michigan Man Arrested For Terrorist Activities On Behalf Of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bronx-man-and-michigan-man-arrested-terrorist-activities-behalf-hizballah-s-islamic.

• Samer Eldebek“United States of America v. Samer El Debek,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 31, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/972416/download.
• Samar El Debek“According to the FBI, Debek was looking for potential targets in Panama and New York City,” Fox 2 WJBK, June 8, 2017, http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/259758501-story.

Sheikh Nabil Qaouk is a member and former deputy head of Hezbollah’s executive council.“Lebanon will benefit from Daesh defeat: Hezbollah's Sheikh Nabil Qaouk,” Daily Star (Beirut), July 2, 2017, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2017/Jul-02/411415-lebanon-will-benefit-from-daesh-defeat-hezbollahs-sheikh-nabil-qaouk.ashx; “Sheikh Qaouk: Equation of the army and the people and the resistance achieved what the National Alliance failed,” Al-Manar, August 14, 2017, http://www.almanar.com.lb/2456045. He is also a former Hezbollah military commander who fought against Israel during its 1982-2000 occupation of Lebanon and Hezbollah’s 2006 war with Israel.John Kifner and Robert Worth, “Hezbollah out, army in as peace takes hold,” Sydney Morning Herald, August 18, 2006, http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/hezbollah-out-army-in-as-peace-takes-hold/2006/08/17/1155407959686.html.

Qaouk is also a former Hezbollah commander who led the group’s forces in southern Lebanon during Israel’s 18-year occupation.John Kifner, “In 1990’s, Shadows Waged War,” New York Times, July 22, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/world/middleeast/in-1990s-shadows-waged-war.html?mcubz=0. When exactly he transitioned to Hezbollah’s executive council is undetermined. After Israel’s May 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon, Qaouk—then Hezbollah’s field commander in southern Lebanon—told the New York Times that Hezbollah had evolved its tactics to fight against Israel. John Kifner, “In Long Fight With Israel, Hezbollah Tactics Evolved,” New York Times, July 19, 2000, http://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/19/world/in-long-fight-with-israel-hezbollah-tactics-evolved.html.

During the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, Israeli jets targeted and destroyed a building in Beirut used by Qaouk as local offices, though he was not inside.Roee Nahmias, “IAF strikes Lebanese army base,” YNet, July 27, 2006, https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3281969,00.html. After the conflict, Qaouk made veiled statements about Hezbollah’s intentions to maintain its weapons in southern Lebanon despite the U.N. Security Council’s Resolution 1701, passed on August 11, 2006, demanding it disarm.“Hezbollah warns UN peacekeepers,” Al Jazeera, September 16, 2006, http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2006/09/2008410134528643635.html. Hezbollah had operated covertly in the past and it would continue to do so, he said.John Kifner and Robert Worth, “Hezbollah out, army in as peace takes hold,” Sydney Morning Herald, August 18, 2006, http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/hezbollah-out-army-in-as-peace-takes-hold/2006/08/17/1155407959686.html.

Qaouk has broadly supported Hezbollah’s intervention in the neighboring Syrian civil war, while acting as an international mouthpiece to justify Hezbollah’s presence in Syria. He has praised Hezbollah and the Lebanese Armed Forces for confronting ISIS and the Nusra Front.“Hezbollah official warns of militant threats on border with Syria,” Daily Star (Beirut), July 9, 2017, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2017/Jul-09/412121-hezbollah-official-warns-of-militant-threats-on-border-with-syria.ashx?utm_source=Magnet&utm_medium=Entity%20page&utm_campaign=Magnet%20tools#; “Lebanon will benefit from Daesh defeat: Hezbollah's Sheikh Nabil Qaouk,” Daily Star (Beirut), July 2, 2017, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2017/Jul-02/411415-lebanon-will-benefit-from-daesh-defeat-hezbollahs-sheikh-nabil-qaouk.ashx. He claims that Hezbollah’s actions are in the best interests of the Lebanese state by protecting it from the conflict’s spillover. He has also accused Israel of using ISIS and other Syrian rebel groups to weaken Hezbollah, Syria, and Lebanon. Ariel Ben Solomon, “Report: Unprecedented Number of Hezbollah Fighters Killed,” Jerusalem Post, May 17, 2015, http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-Unprecedented-number-of-Hezbollah-fighters-killed-403341.

Although Qaouk pledged that the terror group would never fight inside Syria, Hezbollah has been involved in major battles there alongside Syrian, Iranian, and Russian forces.“Qaouk: Hezbollah will never fight in Syria, job is to protect Lebanon,” Daily Star (Beirut), May 27, 2012, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2012/May-27/174755-qaouk-hezbollah-will-never-fight-in-syria-job-is-to-protect-lebanon.ashx. Ultimately in September 2014, Qaouk acknowledged Hezbollah’s presence in Syria and the “great need” for Hezbollah to remain there in order to fight ISIS.Adiv Sterman, “Hezbollah vows to destroy Islamic State in Syria,” Times of Israel, September 15, 2014, https://www.timesofisrael.com/hezbollah-vows-to-destroy-islamic-state-in-syria/. In March 2016, Qaouk acknowledged that Hezbollah had intervened “politically, popularly and militarily” in Syria, and that this intervention put Hezbollah “in its best status.”“Hezbollah stronger after Syria involvement: Qaouk,” Daily Star (Beirut), March 19, 2016, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2016/Mar-19/343046-hezbollah-stronger-after-syria-involvement-qaouk.ashx?utm_source=Magnet&utm_medium=Entity%20page&utm_campaign=Magnet%20tools.

Qaouk credited Hezbollah and the Lebanese army with allowing the election of Lebanese President Michel Aoun in October 2016.“Army, resistance enabled election of Lebanon president: Hezbollah official,” Daily Star (Beirut), October 29, 2017, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2016/Oct-29/378740-army-resistance-enabled-election-of-lebanon-president-hezbollah-official.ashx?utm_source=Magnet&utm_medium=Entity%20page&utm_campaign=Magnet%20tools. He also praised cooperation between Lebanon’s army and Hezbollah.“Hezbollah Official Hails Joint Action with Lebanese Army,” Tasnim News Agency, August 21, 2017, https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/08/21/1497653/hezbollah-official-hails-joint-action-with-lebanese-army.

In the summer of 2017, Hezbollah’s television station Al-Manar began referring to Qaouk as a member of Hezbollah’s executive council.“Sheikh Qaouk: Equation of the army and the people and the resistance achieved what the National Alliance failed,” Al-Manar, August 14, 2017, http://www.almanar.com.lb/2456045. A September 2017 piece in Al-Manar referred to Ali Damush as the new head of the council.“Sheikh Daoudouche: Increasing the size of the security threats comes in the context of striking the resistance and the army against Takfiri terrorism,” Al-Manar, September 18, 2017, http://www.almanar.com.lb/2622970.

• Nabil Kaouk“Hezbollah prisoner swap under way,” Al Jazeera, July 16, 2008, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2008/07/200871665153469813.html.

Fu’ad Shukr is a member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, the Lebanese terror group’s highest military body. He is also a senior military adviser to Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.“Wanted – Fuad Shukr,” Rewards for Justice, accessed October 11, 2017, https://rewardsforjustice.net/english/fuad_shukr.html. Shukr reportedly replaced Hezbollah military chief Mustafa Badreddine after his 2016 death.“Who Are the Two Hezbollah Military Commanders Wanted by the U.S.?” Haaretz, October 11, 2017, https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.816723. On October 10, 2017, the U.S. government offered a reward of up to $5 million for information on Shukr.“Rewards for Justice - Reward Offer for Information on Hizballah Key Leaders Talal Hamiyah and Fu'ad Shukr,” U.S. Department of State, October 10, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/10/274722.htm.

The U.S. government accuses Shukr of playing a “central role” in Hezbollah’s 1983 attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 U.S. service personnel.“Wanted – Fuad Shukr,” Rewards for Justice, accessed October 11, 2017, https://rewardsforjustice.net/english/fuad_shukr.html. In 1994, Shukr allegedly traveled to Tehran on behalf of Hezbollah to retrieve a batch of U.S.-made Stinger anti-aircraft missiles from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The CIA had transferred the missiles to Afghan rebel forces during the Afghan-Soviet war in the 1980s. Several of the missiles remained unaccounted for after the war’s conclusion. The IRGC later purchased the missiles from Afghan warlords. The U.S. government acknowledged that Hezbollah may have taken possession of some of the missiles but insisted that they did not function properly.James Risen, “A NATION CHALLENGED: INTELLIGENCE; Report Says Iran Gave Terrorists U.S. Arms,” New York Times, January 12, 2002, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/12/world/a-nation-challenged-intelligence-report-says-iran-gave-terrorists-us-arms.html.

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Shukr has aided Hezbollah fighters and pro-Syrian regime troops against opposition forces during the Syrian civil war. The Treasury Department sanction-designated Shukr in July 2015 because of his involvement in the war, which Treasury labeled as “vital” to Hezbollah’s military successes in Syria.“Treasury Sanctions Hizballah Leaders, Military Officials, And An Associate In Lebanon,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, July 21, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0121.aspx.

On October 10, 2017, the U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offered a reward of up to $5 million for information on Shukr and a $7 million reward for Hezbollah operative Talal Hamiyah.“Rewards for Justice - Reward Offer for Information on Hizballah Key Leaders Talal Hamiyah and Fu'ad Shukr,” U.S. Department of State, October 10, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/10/274722.htm. A senior Hezbollah official told Reuters that the group rejects U.S. accusations against Shukr and Hamiyah, which “will not affect the work of the resistance at all.”“Hezbollah dismisses U.S. rewards for arrest of its operatives,” Reuters, October 11, 2017, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-lebanon-hezbollah/hezbollah-dismisses-u-s-rewards-for-arrest-of-its-operatives-idUSKBN1CG2IX.

United States

In response to a declaration by U.S. President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel:

“The most important response would be a Palestinian uprising and an Islamic summit that would declare Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Palestine. We support the call for a new Palestinian [uprising] and escalating the resistance, which is the biggest, most important and gravest response to the American decision.”Sue Surkes, “Hezbollah leader: Trump move ‘a second Balfour Declaration,’” Times of Israel, December 7, 2017, https://www.timesofisrael.com/hezbollah-leader-trump-move-a-second-balfour-declaration/.

Bilal Mohsen Wehbe is the U.S.-designated chief representative of Hezbollah in South America, a role he allegedly undertook at the request of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Wehbe relays information and instructions between Hezbollah’s leadership in Lebanon and Hezbollah operatives in South America. Additionally, Wehbe has also fundraised for Hezbollah and conveyed funds from Brazil to the terrorist group in Lebanon. He has also overseen Hezbollah’s counterintelligence activities in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx. As of late 2017, he continues to operate freely in Brazil, where he remains a prominent Islamic cultural leader.Emanuelle Ottolenghi, “Examining the Effectiveness of the Kingpin Designation Act in the Western Hemsiphere,” U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, November 8, 2017, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA07/20171108/106606/HHRG-115-FA07-Wstate-OttolenghiE-20171108.pdf. 

Wehbe continues his operations in Brazil unhindered, and also remains a prominent Islamic cultural leader in the region. As of November 2017, Brazilian authorities “have not interfered with his activities,” according to testimony by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies to the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.Emanuelle Ottolenghi, “Examining the Effectiveness of the Kingpin Designation Act in the Western Hemsiphere,” U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, November 8, 2017, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA07/20171108/106606/HHRG-115-FA07-Wstate-OttolenghiE-20171108.pdf.  As of May 2017, Wehbe freely serves as the imam of the Brás Mosque in São Paulo and as a leader of the Centro Islâmico no Brasil (Islamic Center of Brazil).Armando Rivarola, “EE.UU. prepara sanciones por nexos con el terrorismo,” ABC Color (Asunción), May 13, 2017, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/politica/eeuu-prepara-sanciones-por-nexos-con-el-terrorismo-1593266.html. He reportedly regularly participates in prayers, meetings, and educational events sponsored by the latter.Emanuelle Ottolenghi, “Examining the Effectiveness of the Kingpin Designation Act in the Western Hemsiphere,” Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, November 8, 2017, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA07/20171108/106606/HHRG-115-FA07-Wstate-OttolenghiE-20171108.pdf.  Wehbe has also appeared as a lecturer in at least one public YouTube video produced by the Centro Islâmico no Brasil’s media wing, Arresala, in 2014.“O Islam Rejeita a Injustiça – Seyyed Bilal Mohsen Wehbi (Mesquita do Brás),” YouTube video, October 24, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1soz6k6ebqA. He also maintains a Facebook profile active as of January 2018, on which he posts public statements and lecture videos.“بلال وهبي‎ ‎(السيد بلال وهبي)‎,” Facebook profile, accessed January 17, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001550997469&fref=nf; “محاضرة بعنوان : المغبون والأغبن من الناس .,” Facebook video, May 2, 2017, https://www.facebook.com/100001550997469/videos/vb.100001550997469/1423895684338784/?type=2&theater.

Wehbe, a naturalized Brazilian citizen, has operated in the TBA since at least 2000. A January 2000 Radio Free Europe report stated that Wehbe led the “radical” “pro-Iranian” wing of Hezbollah in the TBA, in opposition to another pro-Hezbollah faction reported to have a more “conciliatory” attitude toward Western society.“Investigan a un libanés por terrorismo en triple frontera,” ABC Color (Asunción), December 14, 2010, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/policiales/investigan-a-un-libanes-por-terrorismo-en-triple-frontera-196723.html; “Iran Report,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, January 10, 2000, https://web.archive.org/web/20040113090225/http://www.rferl.org/iran-report/2000/01/2-100100.html; “A Global Overview of Narcotics-Funded Terrorist and Other Extremist Groups,” Library of Congress, May 2002, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.857.8925&rep=rep1&type=pdf. Wehbe has also conducted fundraising activities for the group in the region. Following Hezbollah’s 2006 war with Israel, Wehbe and another individual raised over $500,000 for Hezbollah from Lebanese businessmen in the TBA.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx. On December 9, 2010, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Wehbe as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.

According to the U.S. government, Wehbe previously worked for the office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose regime is Hezbollah’s primary sponsor.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx. Wehbe also accompanied Hassan Khomeini, a grandson of Iran’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, on his 2015 tour of Brazil and Paraguay.Armando Rivarola, “Vinculan negocio de HC con financiamiento al terrorismo,” ABC Color (Asunción), May 11, 2017, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/politica/vinculan-negocio-de-hc-con-financiamiento-al-terrorismo-1592474.html. Wehbe and Hassan Khomeini appear in at least one photo together.Emanuelle Ottolenghi, “Examining the Effectiveness of the Kingpin Designation Act in the Western Hemsiphere,” Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, November 8, 2017, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA07/20171108/106606/HHRG-115-FA07-Wstate-OttolenghiE-20171108.pdf; Armando Rivarola, “Exportación de la revolución iraní desde la Triple Frontera,” ABC Color (Asunción), May 16, 2017, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/politica/exportacion-de-la-revolucion-irani-desde-la-triple-frontera-1593966.html. Additionally, in February 2017, Wehbe welcomed Arshad Omar Esmaeel, the Iraqi ambassador to Brazil, to the Centro Islâmico no Brasil.Emanuelle Ottolenghi, “Examining the Effectiveness of the Kingpin Designation Act in the Western Hemsiphere,” Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, November 8, 2017, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA07/20171108/106606/HHRG-115-FA07-Wstate-OttolenghiE-20171108.pdf. 

United States

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated “Bilal Mohsen Wehbe” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 on December 9, 2010.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.

• Bilal Mohsem Wehbi“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.
• Bilal Mohsen Wehbi“Investigan a un libanés por terrorismo en triple frontera,” ABC Color (Asunción), December 14, 2010, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/policiales/investigan-a-un-libanes-por-terrorismo-en-triple-frontera-196723.html; “Iran Report,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, January 10, 2000, https://web.archive.org/web/20040113090225/http://www.rferl.org/iran-report/2000/01/2-100100.html.
• Bilal Muhsin Wahbi“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.
• Bilal Wahbe“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.
• Bilal Wahbi“بلال وهبي‎ ‎(السيد بلال وهبي)‎,” Facebook profile, accessed January 17, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001550997469&fref=nf.
• Bilal Wehbe“بلال وهبي‎ ‎(السيد بلال وهبي)‎,” Facebook profile, accessed January 17, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001550997469&fref=nf.
• Sayyid Muhsin Bilal Wahbi“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.
• Seyyid Bilal Mohsen Wehbi“O Islam Rejeita a Injustiça – Seyyed Bilal Mohsen Wehbi (Mesquita do Brás),” YouTube video, October 24, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1soz6k6ebqA.
• Shaykh Bilal Mohsen Wahbi“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.
• Shaykh Bilal Mohsen Wehbi“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.
• Shaykh Bilal Muhsin Wihbi“Treasury Targets Hizballah Financial Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 9, 2010, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg997.aspx.

Hatem Barakat is a dual Lebanese and Paraguayan citizen and U.S.-designated Hezbollah financier. Though he was born in Lebanon, Hatem became part of a network of Hezbollah financiers in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, along with his brothers, Assad and Hamza Barakat.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx; “Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx. He lived in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, since the early 1990s, and made frequent trips to Iquique, Chile, where he collected funds for the group to send to Lebanon and possibly managed a group of suspected Hezbollah members.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx; “Supuesto extremista manejaba cuenta bancaria en Bahamas,” ABC Color (Asunción), April 22, 2005, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/policiales/supuesto-extremista-manejaba-cuenta-bancaria-en-bahamas-826089.html. Hatem also reportedly generated funds for Hezbollah through two businesses based in Iquique for which he was a significant shareholder as of 2003. He also co-owned several businesses with his brothers Assad and Hamza, including the Paraguay-based Casa Apollo, which was designated by the United States in 2004.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx; “Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Hatem and Hamza Barakat as terrorists on December 6, 2006. Their brother, Assad, had been designated previously.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx; “Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx. Hatem Barakat had been the subject of a 2003 Interpol investigation linking him to Hezbollah operatives who were involved in the July 18, 1994, bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that killed 86.“Interpol pide datos de hermano de Barakat en caso de AMIA,” ABC Color (Asunción), November 19, 2003, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/policiales/interpol-pide-datos-de-hermano-de-barakat-en-caso-de-amia-731541.html; “Libaneses considerados sospechosos en la región,” ABC Color (Asunción), April 5, 2006, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/politica/libaneses-considerados-sospechosos-en-la-region-895957.html. The year prior to the attack, U.S. Customs had reportedly intercepted a package addressed to Barakat containing identification cards with the names of the Hezbollah operatives. A Paraguayan investigation found further connections between Barakat and the operatives, including possible indications that Barakat had provided them with logistical support using a Bahamas-based bank account.“Supuesto extremista manejaba cuenta bancaria en Bahamas,” ABC Color (Asunción), April 22, 2005, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/policiales/supuesto-extremista-manejaba-cuenta-bancaria-en-bahamas-826089.html. In 2005, Paraguay filed two charges against Hatem Barakat for document falsification in the alleged pursuit of Paraguayan citizenship for his children.“Libaneses considerados sospechosos en la región,” ABC Color (Asunción), April 5, 2006, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/politica/libaneses-considerados-sospechosos-en-la-region-895957.html, “Paraguay’s 2005 Second Quarter Report,” WikiLeaks, July 8, 2005, https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/05ASUNCION870_a.html. He was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison in June 2006.“Chapter 2 – Country Reports: Western Hemisphere Overview,” U.S. Department of State, April 30, 2007, https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2006/82735.htm.

According to congressional testimony by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Emanuele Ottolenghi, Hatem Barakat listed his place of employment on Facebook as the Infornet Princesa store in Luanda, Angola, as of November 2017.Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi, “Examining the Effectiveness of the Kingpin Designation Act in the Western Hemisphere,” Congressional Testimony: Foundation for Defense of Democracies, November 8, 2017, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA07/20171108/106606/HHRG-115-FA07-Wstate-OttolenghiE-20171108.pdf. The store, which sells electronics, children’s toys, and accessories, was still listed on Barakat’s Facebook profile as of April 2018, though his place of residence was listed as Foz do Iguaçu, a city in Brazil on the country’s border with Paraguay.Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi, “Examining the Effectiveness of the Kingpin Designation Act in the Western Hemisphere,” Congressional Testimony: Foundation for Defense of Democracies, November 8, 2017, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA07/20171108/106606/HHRG-115-FA07-Wstate-OttolenghiE-20171108.pdf; “Hatem Barakat,” Facebook profile, accessed April 4, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008314491434&sk=about.

United States

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated “Hatim Ahmad Barakat” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx.

• Hatam Ahmad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx.
• Hatem Ahmad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx.
• Hattem Ahmad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx.
• Hatim Ahmad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx.
• Hotem Ahmad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx.

Hicham Nmer Khanafer is an “active and influential” Hezbollah fundraiser and recruiter responsible for the group’s activities in The Gambia, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Khanafer, who holds a Lebanese passport, has allegedly hosted weekly meetings for Hezbollah supporters at his home in The Gambia, as well as weekly fundraising and recruiting drives for the group at a local mosque. Khanafer was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in June 2013.“Treasury Sanctions Hizbollah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx. Khanafer was one of four Hezbollah fundraisers in West Africa who raised “millions of dollars” for the group, according to David S. Cohen, the then-U.S. Treasury undersecretary in charge of sanctions.Rick Gladstone, “U.S. Blacklists Fund-Raisers for Hezbollah,” New York Times, June 11, 2013, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/world/middleeast/us-hits-hezbollah-with-new-sanctions.html.

United States

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated “Hicham Nmer Khanafer” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.“Treasury Sanctions Hizbollah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx.

• Hicham Kanafer“Treasury Sanctions Hizbollah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx.
• Hicham Khanafer“Treasury Sanctions Hizbollah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx.
• Hisham Kanafer“Treasury Sanctions Hizbollah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx.
• Hisham Khanafar“Treasury Sanctions Hizbollah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx.
• Hisham Khanafir“Treasury Sanctions Hizbollah Operatives in West Africa,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 11, 2013, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl1980.aspx.

Abdullah Safi-Al-Din is Hezbollah’s envoy to Iran.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388; Josh Meyer, “The secret backstory of how Obama let Hezbollah off the hook,” Politico, 2017, https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, he acts as a “conduit” between Iran and Hezbollah and has served as the interlocutor between them on financial matters.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388. Safi-Al-Din has also led a global Hezbollah criminal network involved in drug and weapons trafficking and money laundering since at least 2008.Derek Maltz and Emmanuele Ottolenghi, Foreign Policy, “It’s time for the Justice Department to hold Hezbollah accountable,” Chicago Tribune, January 22, 2018, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-hezbollah-comment-e8605ca0-ff8f-11e7-8acf-ad2991367d9d-20180122-story.html; Josh Meyer, “The secret backstory of how Obama let Hezbollah off the hook,” Politico, 2017, https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/; “DEA and European Authorities Uncover Massive Hizballah Drug and Money Laundering Scheme,” United States Drug Enforcement Administration, February 1, 2016, https://www.dea.gov/divisions/hq/2016/hq020116.shtml Safi-Al-Din was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on May 17, 2018.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388.

As Hezbollah’s envoy to Iran, Safi-Al-Din worked with Hezbollah financier Mohammed Ibrahim Bazzi and the Central Bank of Iran in 2009 and 2010 to increase banking access between Iran and Lebanon.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388. Specifically, Safi-Al-Din reportedly worked to facilitate access to the Lebanese Canadian Bank for Iranian government officials.Michael Isikoff, “Bank accused of laundering drug money for Hezbollah,” NBC News, February 10, 2011, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/41512092/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/bank-accused-laundering-drug-money-hezbollah/#.VQnZhY7F9ks. In 2011, Safi-Al-Din and Bazzi worked to resolve a dispute and reestablish relations between Iran and The Gambia.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388. Safi-Al-Din reportedly also oversaw Hezbollah efforts to help Iran procure supplies for its clandestine nuclear and ballistic missile programs.Josh Meyer, “The secret backstory of how Obama let Hezbollah off the hook,” Politico, 2017, https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/.

Safi-Al-Din has also led a Hezbollah criminal network in conjunction with U.S.-designated Hezbollah operative Adham Tabaja after the death of the network’s founder, Imad Mughniyah, in 2008. This network, known to law enforcement as the Lebanese Hizballah External Security Organization Business Affairs Component (BAC), has been the subject of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation since 2008. Linked to numerous drug cartels, the BAC is comprised of various drug trafficking and money laundering networks in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and the United States. The funds generated from these networks have largely been used to supply weapons to Hezbollah-linked Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria.Josh Meyer, “The secret backstory of how Obama let Hezbollah off the hook,” Politico, 2017, https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/; “DEA and European Authorities Uncover Massive Hizballah Drug and Money Laundering Scheme,” United States Drug Enforcement Administration, February 1, 2016, https://www.dea.gov/divisions/hq/2016/hq020116.shtml. In February 2016, the DEA announced that it had arrested individuals for their involvement in the BAC, though Safi-Al-Din remains at large.“DEA and European Authorities Uncover Massive Hizballah Drug and Money Laundering Scheme,” United States Drug Enforcement Administration, February 1, 2016, https://www.dea.gov/divisions/hq/2016/hq020116.shtml; Sue Surkes, “Hezbollah drugs-for-guns ring busted in international sting,” Times of Israel (Jerusalem), February 2, 2016, https://www.timesofisrael.com/international-sting-nets-hezbollah-drug-money-couriers/.

Safi-Al-Din is the cousin of Hezbollah’s U.S.-designated Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah. He is also the brother of Hashem Safieddine, the reported head of Hezbollah’s Executive Assembly.Michael Isikoff, “Bank accused of laundering drug money for Hezbollah,” NBC News, February 10, 2011, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/41512092/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/bank-accused-laundering-drug-money-hezbollah/#.VQnZhY7F9ks.

United States

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated “Abdallah Safi-Al-Din” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 on May 17, 2018.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388.

• Abdullah Safieddine“Counter Terrorism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180517.aspx.
• Abdallah SafieddineJosh Meyer, “The secret backstory of how Obama let Hezbollah off the hook,” Politico, 2017, https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/.

In response to the Bush administration’s accusations that Iran and Syria had supplied Hezbollah with weapons:

“We don’t need to arm ourselves from Tehran. Why bring weapons from Iran via Syria when we can procure them anywhere in the world?”Josh Meyer, “The secret backstory of how Obama let Hezbollah off the hook,” Politico, 2017, https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/.

Mohammed Ibrahim Bazzi is a Hezbollah financier who has fundraised millions of dollars for Hezbollah through his business activities in Belgium, Lebanon, Iraq, and West Africa.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388. He was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on May 17, 2018. Five companies owned or controlled by Bazzi were also designated by the U.S. Treasury on the same date.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388.

From 2009 to 2010, Bazzi worked with Abdallah Safi-Al-Din, Hezbollah’s representative to Iran, and the Central Bank of Iran to increase banking access between Iran and Lebanon. In 2011, Bazzi and Safi-Al-Din worked to resolve a dispute and reestablish relations between Iran and The Gambia.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388. According to the U.S. Treasury, Bazzi is a “close associate” of Yahya Jammeh, the former president of The Gambia who was sanctioned by the United States in December 2017 for his record of human rights abuses and money laundering.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388; “United States Sanctions Human Rights Abusers and Corrupt Actors Across the Globe,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 21, 2017, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0243.

Bazzi maintains ties to other U.S.-designated individuals, including Hezbollah financiers Adham Tabaja and Ali Youssef Charara.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388. He also has links to drug dealers and the U.S.-designated Ayman Joumaa Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Organization, a Lebanese drug trafficking network.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388; “Treasury Targets Major Lebanese-Based Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Network,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 26, 2011, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1035.aspx.

Five of Bazzi’s companies were also designated by the U.S. Treasury on May 17, 2018.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388. They included the Belgian energy services conglomerate Global Trading Group NV, the Gambian petroleum company Euro African Group LTD, as well as three Lebanon-based companies: Africa Middle East Investment Holding SAL, Premier Investment Group SAL Offshore, and Car Escort Services S.A.L. Off Shore.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388.

United States

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated “Mohammed Ibrahim Bazzi” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 on May 17, 2018.“Treasury Targets Key Hizballah Financing Network and Iranian Conduit,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0388.

• Mohamed Bazzi“Counter Terrorism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180517.aspx.
• Muhammad Ibrahim Bazzi“Counter Terrorism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180517.aspx.
• Muhammed Bazzi“Counter Terrorism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, May 17, 2018, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180517.aspx.

Ali Muhammad Kazan is a U.S.-designated Hezbollah operative and fundraiser in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America––the region that straddles the borders of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. He reportedly may have succeeded U.S.-designated Assad Ahmad Barakat as the leader of Hezbollah’s political structure in the TBA, and also reportedly served as a counterintelligence official for the group.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx. As of August 2006, Kazan helped to raise more than $500,000 for Hezbollah from Lebanese businessmen in the region.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx. In 2006, the Paraguayan periodical ABC Color referred to him as the “political reference” and “visible face of Hezbollah” in the TBA.“Los nueve árabes sospechosos para EUA tienen negocios en C. del Este,” ABC Color (Asución), December 17, 2006, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/policiales/los-nueve-arabes-sospechosos-para-eua-tienen-negocios-en-c-del-este-950958.html.

ABC Color also reported that Kazan served as the administrator of funds for the Society of Islamic Charity of Foz do Iguaçu, a Hezbollah-linked charitable organization. However, the report claimed that Kazan did not enjoy widespread support from Hezbollah sympathizers in the region, and instead had achieved his high-ranking roles in the organization through family connections. The periodical also reported that Kazan hosted and accompanied Hezbollah deputy Ismail Sukkarieh during his visit to Brazil in May of 2006.“Los nueve árabes sospechosos para EUA tienen negocios en C. del Este,” ABC Color (Asución), December 17, 2006, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/policiales/los-nueve-arabes-sospechosos-para-eua-tienen-negocios-en-c-del-este-950958.html. In addition to his duties for Hezbollah, Kazan reportedly worked as the director of the Escola Libanesa Brasileira (Lebanese Brazilian School) in Foz de Iguacú, Brazil, as of 2007.“Siguen acusando a la Tres Fronteras de ser nido de extremistas islámicos,” ABC Color (Asunción), March 12, 2007, http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/interior/siguen-acusando-a-la-tres-fronteras-de-ser-nido-de-extremistas-islamicos-968031.html.

Kazan was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on December 6, 2006.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx. According to the designation, he held both Lebanese and Paraguayan citizenship at the time.“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx.

United States

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated “Ali Muhammad Kazan” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 on December 6, 2006.“Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx.

• Ali Mohamad Kassan“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx.
• Ali Mohamad Qazan“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx.

Assad Ahmad Barakat is a U.S.-designated key Hezbollah financier who has operated in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America––the region that straddles the borders of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina.“Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx. Barakat, who has close ties with Hezbollah’s leadership, was the group’s chief of military operations and fundraising in the TBA in the 1990s.“Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America,” Library of Congress, July 2003, 2, 20, https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/TerrOrgCrime_TBA.pdf. He operated Hezbollah’s financial network in the region, and owned several businesses of his own that conducted money laundering activities to generate funds for the group.“Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx. Barakat was indicted by Paraguay in 2001, and served a six and a half-year prison sentence in the country after he was arrested in Brazil in 2002.“Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America,” Library of Congress, July 2003, 2, 20, https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/TerrOrgCrime_TBA.pdf; “Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx. However, his whereabouts have been undetermined since he was released from Paraguayan custody in 2009.“The many criminal heads of the Golden Hydra,” Counter Extremism Project, accessed May 25, 2016, https://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/The%20Many%20Criminal%20Heads%20of%20the%20Golden%20Hydra%20%28May%202018%29.pdf.

In the mid-1980s, Barakat immigrated from Lebanon to Paraguay to escape the Lebanese Civil War.“Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America,” Library of Congress, July 2003, 2, 20, https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/TerrOrgCrime_TBA.pdf; “The many criminal heads of the Golden Hydra,” Counter Extremism Project, accessed May 25, 2016, https://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/The%20Many%20Criminal%20Heads%20of%20the%20Golden%20Hydra%20%28May%202018%29.pdf. He soon began operating several businesses based in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, including Apollo Import Export and Mondial Engineering and Construction, through which he conducted money laundering schemes to generate funds for Hezbollah.“Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America,” Library of Congress, July 2003, 2, 20, https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/TerrOrgCrime_TBA.pdf; “The many criminal heads of the Golden Hydra,” Counter Extremism Project, accessed May 25, 2016, https://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/The%20Many%20Criminal%20Heads%20of%20the%20Golden%20Hydra%20%28May%202018%29.pdf; “Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp190.aspx. Barakat also operated additional businesses based in Lebanon, Chile, and the United States, at times with the assistance of his brothers Hatem and Hamzi.“Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America,” Library of Congress, July 2003, 2, 20, https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/TerrOrgCrime_TBA.pdf; “Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx; “Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2006, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20061206.aspx. He also collected funds for Hezbollah by pressuring Lebanese shopkeepers in the TBA to pay a quota to the group under threat of putting their family members on a “Hezbollah blacklist.”“Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx. Barakat regularly sent large sums of money to the group in Lebanon and Iran and even personally carried funds to Lebanon, traveling with a Paraguayan passport as of 2000.“Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx; “Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America,” Library of Congress, July 2003, 2, 20, https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/TerrOrgCrime_TBA.pdf.

In addition to his direct fundraising roles, Barakat reportedly served as the deputy financial director of a mosque in Brazil, as the deputy for another Hezbollah financial official, Ali Muhammad Kazan, and eventually as the primary liaison in the TBA for Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.“Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx. He was also reportedly one of two individuals in charge of distributing counterfeit U.S. currency in the TBA.“Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx. As of 2001, Barakat reportedly traveled to Lebanon and Iran annually to meet with Hezbollah’s leadership.“Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx.

Barakat was also involved in planning Hezbollah’s military operations. He was an organizer and key financier of Hezbollah’s 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people and injured over 300.“The many criminal heads of the Golden Hydra,” Counter Extremism Project, accessed May 25, 2016, https://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/The%20Many%20Criminal%20Heads%20of%20the%20Golden%20Hydra%20%28May%202018%29.pdf; Harriet Alexander, “The Buenos Aires bomb, the Iranian allegations, and the accusations against Cristina Kirchner,” Telegraph (London), January 19, 2015, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/argentina/11356031/The-Buenos-Aires-bomb-the-Iranian-allegations-and-the-accusations-against-Cristina-Kirchner.html. Barakat relayed information to Hezbollah’s leadership about Arabs in the TBA who traveled to the United States or Israel. He regularly hosted and attended meetings with other senior Hezbollah leaders in the TBA, such as one meeting in Brazil in the fall of 2000 at which they discussed potential assassination plots. Authorities later discovered videos on Barakat’s personal computer of violent Hezbollah military operations in Lebanon.“Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx.

In 2001, Paraguay indicted Barakat on charges of association, abetment of crime, and tax evasion, and an international warrant was issued for his arrest. In response, Barakat fled the TBA that October.“Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America,” Library of Congress, July 2003, 2, 20, https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/TerrOrgCrime_TBA.pdf. However, he was arrested by Brazilian authorities in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, on June 22, 2002, and extradited to Paraguay that December, where he served a six and a half-year prison sentence.“Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America,” Library of Congress, July 2003, 2, 20, https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/TerrOrgCrime_TBA.pdf; “Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx.

Barakat was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on June 10, 2004. Two of his businesses, Casa Apollo and Barakat Import Export Ltda., were also designated at the time for their involvement in generating support for Hezbollah.“Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js1720.aspx.

Barakat was released from Paraguayan custody in 2009, though Paraguay has reportedly since lost track of his whereabouts.“The many criminal heads of the Golden Hydra,” Counter Extremism Project, accessed May 25, 2016, https://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/The%20Many%20Criminal%20Heads%20of%20the%20Golden%20Hydra%20%28May%202018%29.pdf.

United States

The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated “Assad Ahmad Barakat” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 on June 10, 2004.“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20040610.aspx.

• Assaad Ahmad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20040610.aspx.
• Assad Ahmed Muhammad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20040610.aspx.
• Assad Hassan Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20040610.aspx.
• Assad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20040610.aspx.
• Hajj As’ad Ahmad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20040610.aspx.
• Jach Assad Ahmad Barakat“Recent OFAC Actions,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 10, 2004, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/pages/20040610.aspx.