On Monday, the United States Embassy in Asunción announced a reward of up to $10 million for information regarding Hezbollah's financial networks in the Tri-Border area, which includes Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina.
According to the announcement, the U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, managed by the Diplomatic Security Service, is offering this reward for information that can help disrupt the financing mechanisms of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah. The RFJ is specifically seeking details about Hezbollah's financial operations in the Tri-Border region.
"In the Tri-Border Area, financiers and facilitators of Hezbollah raise funds for the terrorist organisation through various illegal activities. These include money laundering, drug trafficking, smuggling of coal and oil, illegal diamond trading, and the smuggling of goods like cash, cigarettes, and luxury items. They are also involved in document forgery and counterfeiting U.S. dollars. Additionally, they generate income from legitimate commercial ventures across Latin America, such as construction, import and export of goods, and real estate sales."
The diplomatic mission further stated, "Rewards may be offered for information that leads to the identification and dismantling of: revenue sources for Hezbollah or its main financial facilitation mechanisms; donors or financial facilitators associated with Hezbollah; financial institutions or currency exchanges that support Hezbollah transactions; companies or investments owned or controlled by Hezbollah or its financial facilitators; front companies engaged in the international acquisition of dual-use technology for Hezbollah; and criminal schemes involving Hezbollah members or sympathisers that provide economic benefits to the organisation."
"Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation located in Lebanon that obtains weapons, training, and financial support from Iran, which was labelled a state sponsor of terrorism by the Secretary of State in 1984. The group generates around $1 billion each year through a mix of direct funding from Iran, international business ventures, donor networks, corruption, and money laundering activities," it was further explained.
In October 1997, the Department of State classified Hezbollah as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) under the Immigration and Nationality Act, and in October 2001, it designated the group as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224.
Last week, US Chargé d'Affaires in Asunción, Amir Masliyah, delivered a note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, expressing gratitude to President Santiago Peña for his decisive action in designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hezbollah, and Hamas as terrorist organisations.
