Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

February 5, 2016 By Fausta

Brazil: Palestinian Authority opens embassy in Brasilia

The first one in our hemisphere, and designed to make a statement (emphasis added):

Built on a piece of land that is more than 17,000 square feet and donated by the Brazilian government when it was led by former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the space is considered large in comparison to other diplomatic missions. Topped with a golden dome, the building resembles the famous mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas laid the cornerstone for the building in 2011.

Lula donated a strategic location in his own country’s capital: There’s a security component,

The inauguration of the embassy comes as Brazil and Israel tussle over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nominee to fill the vacant Israeli envoy position.

The closeness of the new embassy to major Brazilian governmental buildings, including the Planalto Palace, Congress, Supreme Court and ministries, has been widely criticized due to security concerns.

“Diplomats and their vehicles cannot be checked. The embassy is a sovereign Hamas area now,” an unnamed military source told Brazil’s Veja magazine in an article published last year. “The site is strategic. Terrorists could access the whole governmental structure in a half an hour.”

For decades the Brazilian government has ignored Hezbollah’s activities in the Tri-Border Area. Now Hamas and the PA have a strategically-important spot in the middle of Brasilia.

What could possibly go wrong?

UPDATE
Linked to by Babalu. Thank you!

I also linked to it in today’s post.



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Filed Under: Brazil, Palestinians, TBA, terrorism, terrorism. Latin America, Tri-Border Area Tagged With: Fausta's blog

November 21, 2015 By Fausta

Honduras’ arrest of Syrians points to Hezbollah’s Tri-Border Area connection UPDATED

Long-time readers of this blog know that I have been writing about the Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay Tri-Border Area (TBA) for nearly a decade. According to Infobae, Lebanon-based Hezbollah generates at least $10million/year from drugs and weapons trafficking, but Hezbollah’s total take may be much larger.

This 2003 report on the Tri-Border Area (TBA) report prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under an Interagency Agreement with the Director of Central Intelligence Crime and Narcotics Center,

During the 1999-2001 period, Islamic extremist groups, specifically Hizballah and Hamas, received a total of between US$50 million and US$500 million from Arab residents of Foz do Iguaçu through Paraguayan financial institutions.105 An investigation begun in September 2001 also determined that a group of 42 Arabs in Ciudad del Este remitted abroad, mostly to Lebanon, approximately US$50 million, apparently during the 1997-2001 period. It is believed that these funds were derived from arms trafficking and other illicit activities.

Now it appears human trafficking has been added to the trade:

The Daily Mail reports that the five Syrians arrested in Honduras with fake Greek passports paid US$10,000 each to travel to the South American Tri-Border area.

The five men departed Syria for Brazil via Lebanon. Once in Brazil, they were given fake Greek passports. From there, they went to the TBA near Iguazu Falls, where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet and reached Argentina by land. From Argentina, they flew to Costa Rica and Honduras, but missed their connecting flight to the northern Honduras city of San Pedro Sula, just 20 miles from the border with Guatemala.

The plan was to reach the U.S. by crossing through Guatemala and Mexico. Their lawyer claims they wanted to stay in Guatemala as a final destination.

The Daily Mail has details and video:
EXCLUSIVE – Extraordinary lengths five young Syrian men went to in bid to enter US amid ISIS fears: Greek passports forged in Brazil, hopping from country to country and not checking luggage to avoid scrutiny. The five Syrians were arrested in Honduras with forged Greek passports

  • Men obtained stolen documents in Brazil and had their photos added on
  • Officials believe they were making their way towards the United States
  • Only had hand luggage with them to avoid checks as they made journey
  • After missing a flight because of delays, they were found to not be Greek
  • Men are not considered terrorists, Honduran officials tell Daily Mail Online
  • Men fled Syria after fears they would be kidnapped by ISIS, police say

Last May I wrote,

The Infobae report states that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is Hezbollah’s strategic partner, having cemented the late Hugo Chávez’s ties with Hezbollah and Iran.

If that doesn’t got your attention, note that the report also talks about the growing ties with Mexican drug cartels – which are in charge of human traffic across the border – and the terrorist group for bringing into the U.S. Islamic terrorists, in exchange for weapons.

I am not alleging that the five Syrians detained in Honduras are themselves involved in terrorist activities. Clearly,

The men are now not considered terrorists, Honduran officials told Daily Mail Online

However, the route they took and the amounts of money involved point to the likely involvement of Hezbollah in their transport.

UPDATE
Honduran special police force spokeman Anibal Baca, said they had been tipped off by Greece about the men’s imminent arrival.

Official: 3 Syrians With Fake IDs Detained in St. Maarten (emphasis added)

Officials said the three Syrians had traveled from Europe then stopped in Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Haiti before entering St. Maarten. It is unclear where they were headed.

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Filed Under: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, TBA, Tri-Border Area Tagged With: Hezbollah, St. Maarten

May 13, 2015 By Fausta

Hezbollah in Latin America: $100million a year, and more

The “more” includes growing ties with Mexican drug cartels – which are in charge of human traffic across the border – and the terrorist group for bringing into the U.S. Islamic terrorists, in exchange for weapons.

Read my article, Hezbollah in Latin America: $100million a year, and more

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Filed Under: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, TBA, terrorism. Latin America, Tri-Border Area, Venezuela Tagged With: Da Tech Guy Blog, Fausta' blog, Hezbollah

July 17, 2014 By Fausta

What could possibly go wrong?, Uruguay version

Shipping off jailed terrorists to the tri-border area? No problem!

Pentagon Prepares to Transfer Six Guantanamo Detainees to Uruguay
Move Is Part of Stepped-Up Effort to Further Reduce the Prison’s Population

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Filed Under: TBA, Tri-Border Area, Uruguay Tagged With: Fausta's blog

May 14, 2012 By Fausta

Border security is national security

DAVID MEIR-LEVI
Radical Islam In Latin America Threatens U.S.

Interview topic: threat posed by our failure to secure the southern border enabling terrorists especially from Iran to easily enter our country.

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Filed Under: Colombia, FARC, Hugo Chavez, TBA, terrorism, terrorism. Latin America, Tri-Border Area, Venezuela Tagged With: Fausta's blog

April 3, 2011 By Fausta

Terrorism in Latin America: Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah in Brazil

Brazil’s Revista Veja, which in the past has detailed how Hugo Chavez is a threat to Latin America’s stability and democracies (calling him “Totalitarianism’s clone” six years ago), is now reporting on al-Qaeda’s presence in Brazil.

Reuters has the story,

Al Qaeda operatives are in Brazil planning attacks, raising money and recruiting followers, a leading news magazine reported Saturday, renewing concerns about the nation serving as a hide-out for Islamic militants.

For some reason Yahoo news (link above) did not mention Hamas and Hezbollah, which the Jerusalem Post does (h/t Gates of Vienna),

Operatives from Hamas, Hezbollah, and al Qaida are in Brazil planning attacks, raising money and recruiting followers, a leading Brazilian news magazine reported on Saturday.

Both Yahoo and the JP continue,

Veja magazine, in its online edition, reported that at least 20 people affiliated with al Qaeda as well as the Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah, the Palestinian group Hamas and two other organizations have been hiding out in the South American country.

The magazine said these operatives have been raising money and working to incite attacks abroad. The magazine cited Brazilian police and U.S. government reports, but did not give details on specific targets or operations.

The United States has said Islamic militants have been operating in the border region between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Brazil has denied this, while saying it is aware that some members of Brazil’s Lebanese community legally transferred funds to the Middle East.

The Veja online article (in Portuguese) headline reads, (my translation. Please link to this post and credit me if you use this translation)
Exclusivo: documentos da CIA, FBI e PF mostram como age a rede do terror islâmico no Brasil
A Polícia Federal tem provas de que a Al Qaeda e outras quatro organizações extremistas usam o país para divulgar propaganda, planejar atentados, financiar operações e aliciar militantes

Exclusive: CIA, FBI, and Federal Police document an Islamic terror network in Brazil.
The Federal Police show that al-Qaeda and four other organizations are using the country to spread propaganda, plan attacks, raise funds and recruit militants.

The article then directs its readers to read the report in the magazine’s print edition. I haven’t been able to locate this issue of Veja, so if any of my readers has, please let me know.

For older posts on terrorism in Brazil and the tri-border area,
Piracy, the Tri-Border Area and terrorism
US asks Paraguay to extradite suspected Hezbollah financier, formerly of Broooklyn and New Jersey
Following up on the triborder area nine,

UPDATE
Linked by The Datatech Guy.

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Filed Under: al-Qaeda, Brazil, Hamas, Hizballah, Hizbollah, TBA, terrorism Tagged With: Fausta's blog, Revista Velja

June 18, 2010 By Fausta

US asks Paraguay to extradite suspected Hezbollah financier, formerly of Broooklyn and New Jersey

News from the tri-border area:
US asks Paraguay to extradite suspected Hezbollah financier

The United States has asked Paraguay to extradite a Lebanese national suspected of funneling money to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah from the South American nation, court sources said Wednesday.

Mussa Ali Hamdan, 38, was arrested Tuesday in Ciudad del Este, part of the Triple Frontier, a region the United States has repeatedly cited as being exploited by militant groups that “finance terrorist activities.”

Hamdan is accused of 31 crimes, according to Interpol. The US extradition request cites his alleged material support for Hezbollah “including falsified documents.”

The suspect is also accused of counterfeiting US currency and conspiracy to commit passport fraud, according to the request.

Hamdan appeared Wednesday before judge Hugo Sosa Pasmor to confirm his identity as part of an extradition request, and then was transferred to Asuncion’s Tacumbu penitentiary.

Local media, citing local security officials, have said Hamdan was financing Hezbollah, which fought a devastating 2006 war with Israel and is blacklisted as a terror group by Washington.

A cosmopolitan area and significant tourist spot, the Triple Frontier is also considered a major spot for smuggling and other organized crime. Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina however deny their shared region is a hotbed for terror financing.

Hat tip Dan Collins.

Hamdan is wanted in Philadelphia,

Commissioner Antonio Chena, who runs the local Interpol office, says Moussa Ali Hamdan is accused in Philadelphia of 30 crimes, from counterfeiting money and documents to trading stolen cellphones and videogames. The most serious accusation in his arrest warrant is that he exported stolen cars to Lebanon to finance terror organizations there.

Hamdan is a former resident of West Collingswood, New Jersey,

authorities last year over his alleged role in what officials called a U.S.-based Hezbollah terror cell was arrested in Paraguay on Tuesday and faces extradition to the United States, authorities said.

Moussa Ali Hamdan, 38, a native of Lebanon who for a time lived in a $600-a-month efficiency apartment in West Collingswood, was a central figure in a four-year probe led by the FBI’s Philadelphia Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Investigators were digging into the terrorist organization’s fund-raising and weapons procurement in the United States.

Hamdan, a naturalized U.S. citizen, worked as a carpet installer in Cinnaminson in 2007 and 2008, and operated a low-end car dealership along Route 130. During that period, he bought more than $154,000 worth of what he thought were stolen electronics and cars from undercover agents, authorities said.

Many of the meetings took place in the Deptford Mall parking lot.

Hamdan resold some of the merchandise for personal profit, according to authorities. But he smuggled a portion of the merchandise to be sold overseas to benefit Hezbollah, they allege.

Hamdan proved to be a pivotal figure in the investigation. He led undercover agents and informants working with the investigation to high-level Hezbollah operatives who sold counterfeit cash and sought to purchase assault weapons to be shipped overseas, according to the indictment.

The investigation resulted in the November indictments of 26 suspected Hezbollah operatives and sympathizers in federal court in Philadelphia. Among them was Dani Tarraf, an alleged Hezbollah weapons procurement officer who authorities say gave undercover agents a $20,000 down payment on Stinger antiaircraft missiles.

Patricia Hartman, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia, said Wednesday that her office was seeking Hamdan’s extradition. She could not give a timetable on how long that process could take.

Hamdan fled the country before he could be arrested in the United States last year, authorities said.

Working with Paraguayan police and Interpol officials, task force investigators tracked Hamdan to Ciudad del Este, a crime-ridden city in the loosely policed “tri-border” region of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. The area is a hotbed of Hezbollah activity and fund-raising, said Matthew Levitt, a terrorism expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“His arrest there underscores the global nature and reach of Hezbollah’s financial and logistic support,” he said.

Hamdan was arrested after somebody tried to obtain a Paraguayan national identification card for him, law enforcement sources said.

According to the Associated Press, Commissioner Antonio Chena, who runs the Interpol office in Paraguay, said Hamdan would be jailed in Asunción, the country’s capital, pending a formal extradition request. Under Paraguayan law, he can be held there for six months.

And get a hold of this:

With the help of Hamdan, a deal was brokered for Harb to sell the informant $1 million in counterfeit money. The first installment of the fake cash, about $10,000, was mailed to Philadelphia hidden in photo albums, the indictment said.

Harb led investigators farther up the Hezbollah chain of command. Last June, he arranged a meeting between an FBI informant and Hassan Hodroj, a member of Hezbollah’s political bureau, in Beirut.

Hezbollah wanted 1,200 Colt M4 machine guns, a model used by U.S. special forces, and would pay $1,800 per gun, Hodroj said, according to the indictment. They were to be shipped to a port in Syria.

By November, law enforcement sources said, undercover agents had persuaded Harb to travel from Lebanon to Philadelphia, where he was to inspect the guns and provide a down payment.

Investigators planned to wait in Philadelphia and arrest Harb just as they had Tarraf, the sources said.

But high-level infighting between U.S. intelligence agencies prevented Harb from acquiring a visa, said the sources, who said Harb’s apprehension could have led to another major arrest and invaluable intelligence.

According to this article, he’s originally from Brooklyn,

A New York man was arrested in Paraguay and ordered held Wednesday pending extradition to the United States on charges of conspiring to finance the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, which Washington classifies as a terrorist organization.

Moussa Ali Hamdan, 38, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is accused of trafficking in stolen cell phones, video games, computers and cars with the aim of financing and supporting Hezbollah with counterfeit money and documents. He faces 25 years in prison if convicted of 31 crimes detailed in an indictment filed in November in Philadelphia.

Prosecutors say Hamdan began buying what he thought were stolen goods from a U.S. government informant in late 2007, and the alleged conspiracy grew from there.

Hamdan and nine other suspects allegedly agreed to sell the informant counterfeit currency and buy and sell stolen goods to raise money for Hezbollah, which forms part of Lebanon’s coalition government as a political movement.

Specifically, Hamdan is accused of fencing and exporting more than 1,700 cell phones, 400 Sony PlayStation 2 systems, and three used cars. He also allegedly met with the informant to discuss the sale of counterfeit U.S. currency to support Hezbollah.

His Paraguayan lawyer Elizabeth Amarrila says the accusations are false.

Hamdan, who has dual U.S.-Lebanese citizenship and carried his U.S. passport, spoke briefly to a Paraguayan television station after his arrest, saying he came to Ciudad del Este with several friends in search of work. He said he has been falsely accused by U.S. police only because he’s Muslim — and that if he were Christian, they would not have charged him.

Patty Hartman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia, confirmed Hamdan’s arrest and said U.S. authorities are seeking his extradition. She declined further comment.

I’ll be talking about this in today’s podcast at 11AM Eastern.

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Filed Under: Blog Talk Radio, New Jersey, Paraguay, podcasts, TBA, terrorism, Tri-Border Area Tagged With: Brooklyn, Fausta's blog, Mussa Ali Hamdan, Philadelphia, West Collingswood

December 22, 2006 By Fausta

Following up on the triborder area nine,

Last week I posted that the US Treasury Dept. had

designated nine individuals and two entities that have provided financial and logistical support to the Hizballah terrorist organization. The designees are located in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay and have provided financial and other services for Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) Assad Ahmad Barakat, who was previously designated in June 2004 for his support to Hizballah leadership.

I just found out that The Office of Foreign Assets Control has released the names, addresses, and passport numbers of those individuals. Click on the link for the full information.

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Filed Under: Argentina, Brazil, Hizballah, Paraguay, TBA, Tri-Border Area

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