The Radiological and WMD Threat Posed to National Security By Hezbollah in Latin America

Date of Publication

2019 12:00 AM

Security Theme

Violent Extremism

Keywords

Violent Extremism, srhreports, violentextremism, Hezbollah; international terrorist organizations; Latin America; Tri-Border Area of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina; nuclear and WMD material, national security

Description

Beginning in the 1980s, Hezbollah and other international terrorist organizations took root in unstable portions of Latin America. Over the years, they have built up considerable capabilities that threaten US national security and the security of allies in the region. However, Hezbollah has separated itself from its counterparts through its actions in Latin America, namely the Israeli Embassy and AMIA bombings in the early 1990s, and continues to do so. While it mainly operates out of the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina in South America, Hezbollah commands cells that span the Western Hemisphere. In the modern-day, Hezbollah conducts drug, weapons, and contraband trafficking and smuggling operations, in addition to its violent attacks. New revelations, involving the increased trafficking and stealing of nuclear and WMD material, populate the world’s nonproliferation roundtables. Latin America is no exception to this trend. It is possible that terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah, could acquire, develop, and use stolen or illegally obtained nuclear material in a radiological dispersal device (RDD) or some form of WMD. In light of these revelations, the United States should focus more on Hezbollah’s illicit activities in Latin America in the interests of its own national security and its allies’.

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Jan 1st, 12:00 AM

The Radiological and WMD Threat Posed to National Security By Hezbollah in Latin America

Beginning in the 1980s, Hezbollah and other international terrorist organizations took root in unstable portions of Latin America. Over the years, they have built up considerable capabilities that threaten US national security and the security of allies in the region. However, Hezbollah has separated itself from its counterparts through its actions in Latin America, namely the Israeli Embassy and AMIA bombings in the early 1990s, and continues to do so. While it mainly operates out of the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina in South America, Hezbollah commands cells that span the Western Hemisphere. In the modern-day, Hezbollah conducts drug, weapons, and contraband trafficking and smuggling operations, in addition to its violent attacks. New revelations, involving the increased trafficking and stealing of nuclear and WMD material, populate the world’s nonproliferation roundtables. Latin America is no exception to this trend. It is possible that terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah, could acquire, develop, and use stolen or illegally obtained nuclear material in a radiological dispersal device (RDD) or some form of WMD. In light of these revelations, the United States should focus more on Hezbollah’s illicit activities in Latin America in the interests of its own national security and its allies’.