In Chile on Thursday, Minister of Security of Argentina Patricia Bullrich outlined how the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah operates in the Triple Border region between Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The group engages in money laundering activities extensively documented by investigations conducted by Brazilian police officers.
According to Bullrich, Hezbollah uses organizations like PCC from Brazil as well as Argentine and Paraguayan groups involved in kidnappings, robberies, and drug trafficking to launder money. The group employs “facade organizations” and its operators pose as merchants or businessmen in the region.
Bullrich emphasized that Argentina has a special sensitivity to this issue as their highest criminal court recently ruled that Iran acted as a terrorist state in Argentina with the help of Hezbollah. She also mentioned that other organizations may be using similar tactics appearing with a level of sophistication and planning typical of contexts linked to the Armed Forces.
The judicial decision referenced by Bullrich attributed responsibility to Iran for two major terrorist attacks in Argentina: 1994 attack at the headquarters of Associação Mutual Israelita Argentina (Amia) and 1992 attack on Israeli Embassy. The attacks were carried out by Hezbollah under the direction and financing of Iranian organizations.
The Argentine government has called for international arrests of those responsible for Amia attack and requested arrests of Iranian Interior Minister in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Last week, Chilean President Gabriel Boric expressed concern over Bullrich’s statements about Hezbollah’s presence in Iquique, which led to an apology from Bullrich later on.
At a forum in Santiago de Chile, Bullrich discussed Hezbollah’s operations in Triple Border region highlighting the sophisticated money laundering activities and connections to state-sponsored terrorism. Her remarks shed light on complex challenges posed by terrorist organizations in the region emphasizing need for international cooperation effectively combat these threats.
